Douglas William Wright AM

b. 1883 High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. d. 10/08/1937 Crondall, Hampshire.

DATE OF AM ACTION: 08/04/1917 St Pol, France.

Douglas was born in the summer of 1884, one of seven children born to Benjamin and Marion Wright. His siblings were called Marion, Lilian, Mabel, Benjamin, Ellen Maud and Hilda. Both of his parents hailed originally from Marylebone, London. By 1911, Douglas was still living with his parents in Beckenham, Kent, and was working as a surveyor’s clerk. He enlisted in the 10th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers as Private 878, before later transferring to 22nd Battalion. He was commissioned on 22nd November 1916, and was promoted to Lieutenant following his AM action. His horrific injuries which saw him lose both legs and an arm meant he was not fit enough to attend his investiture at Buckingham Palace, and the medal was sent to the War Office. Due to his disability, he lived with his unmarried sister Mabel for the remainder of his life, and when he died, he bequeathed his estate to her.

 

AM CITATION:

In April 1917, Lieutenant Wright was in charge of a rifle-grenade practice at St. Pol. One of the party accidentally released the safety lever of his grenade before he was ready to fire, and thereupon threw his rifle on the ground, calling to Lieutenant Wright to escape. The officer, however, fearing that the man would be unable to get away in time, rushed past him, seized the rifle, and held it to his body in order to minimise the force of the explosion. He was so severely injured as to necessitate the amputation of both legs and one arm. The man who was firing escaped from the trench by another exit. Lieutenant Wright undoubtedy risked his life in endeavouring to save the life of another.

 

BURIAL LOCATION: ALL SAINTS CHURCHYARD, CRONDALL, HAMPSHIRE. 

LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.