Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookScotland Royal Garrison Artillery Militia, a post for which his big-gun training fitted him. He resigned the Adjutancy 11 Aug. 1908, was placed on half-pay and served as A.D.C. to Admiral Sir Day Bosanquet, Governor of South Australia, from Feb. 1909 to Jan. 1911. Returning to England he took the opportunity offered him of going into the cavalry at the foot of the captains' list in the 3rd Dragoon Guards at a time when the training of cavalry was exercising the minds of the authorities. He served with the regt. at Aldershot and Hounslow and subsequently at Cairo, till sent to join the Expeditionary Force in France after the outbreak of war. He was killed in action at Ypres, 17 Nov. 1914. His death is thus described in a letter from a comrade: "The Prussian Guard were attacking and some of them rushed into some cottages between Wright's trench and the next squadron trench; he rushed out of his trench with some men, and killed them all in the cottages, accounting for five himself. He then went back to his trench and took up a rifle and started shooting at the Germans in front, but a piece of bullet took a piece of his left thumb away, and damaged the rifle. This misfortune was followed by the bursting of a shell which killed him.... His squadron took the brunt of the attack, and he was responsible for a splendid piece of work in repulsing it...." His body was taken to Ypres that night and buried in the churchyard there the following day. Splendid testimony of his devotion to his men is given in a letter from Private O'Brien, who writing to his wife said: "There are many instances of bravery I saw myself. One in particular was that of Capt. Wright of my squadron who crept out under a heavy artillery and rifle fire to try and bring in two wounded men. He succeeded in bringing back to the trench Jack Lavery, who had been shot. He also bandaged up and placed in safety L.-Corpl. Fraser, who had the back of his head blown off by a shell." Capt. Wright _m._ at Adelaide, South Australia, 21 Sept. 1910, Christine Margret, dau. of Thomas Elder Barr-Smith, of Birksgate, Glen Osmond, Adelaide; _s.p._ He was well known as a polo player and at Hurlingham was on the "four" mark. [Illustration: =Edwin Wright.=] =WRIGHT, HARRY THOMAS=, A.B. (R.F.R., B. 5706), 203886, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =WRIGHT, HUGH STAFFORD NORTHCOTE=, Capt., 2nd Battn. 8th Gurkha Rifles, 2nd _s._ of the late Frederick Wright, for many years senior superintendent and later Inspector General of Police in Berar, India, by his wife, Frances Louisa (Kilcor Castle, Fermoy, co. Cork), dau. of the late Henry Edmund Goodhall, of Sherwood Lodge, Upper Norwood; _b._ Akola, Berar, India, 14 Dec. 1877; educ. Chigwell School, Chigwell, Essex (Rev. Canon R. D. Swallow), and later at Heidelberg College. He was on plague duty in India, when the South African War broke out, and enlisted in Lumsden's Horse, sailing from Calcutta 27 Feb. 1900. He obtained his commission in the Army Service Corps, 9 Aug. 1900. Col. Lumsden, in writing to his mother, said: "The pleasure was mine in recommending your boys [Capt. Wright's younger brother enlisted at the same time] for their commissions. They turned out excellent troopers and fought loyally for Queen and Country; I have no doubt they will do equally well in the future. They are much indebted to General Tucker, who strongly supported my recommendation at Headquarters." He was promoted Lieut. 1 Nov. 1901, and Capt. 15 Sept. 1909; took part in operations both in the Transvaal and the Orange Colony; entered Pretoria with Lord Roberts, receiving the Queen's medal with three clasps, and the King's medal with two clasps, and returned to England in Nov. 1902. After a course at Aldershot, he was sent on duty to Cork, and from there to India for five years, arriving at Bombay 22 Jan. 1904; in 0ct. 1905, he went to Rawal Pindi for manœuvres in connection with the Prince of Wales' visit; and from 1906-1908 he commanded 13th Mule Corps at Poona, returning to England in Jan. 1909, when he commanded the 15th Coy. A.S.C. at Bulford Camp, Salisbury, till 1912. On 19 April, 1912, he exchanged into the Indian Army, and left England for India the same month, joining the 2nd Battn. 8th Gurkha Rifles at Lansdowne, Himalayas. While here he passed for his Majority, and also in Kushura, the Ghurka language. On 22 Aug. 1914, he left India, embarking at Karachi for France on the S.S. Erinpura, and wrote: "We are now a convoy of 42 transports, all travelling two cables length of each other, H.M.S. Dartmouth in charge. It is really a most impressive sight, and at night looks like a white city." They arrived at Marseilles 12 Oct. 1914, and were attached to the Meerut Division under Major-General Keary. The regt. went into action at Ypres on the night of the 29th Oct. and Capt. Wright was killed in action on the following day; _unm._ His Commanding Officer sent the following account of the engagement: "At 10 p.m. on the 29th he (Capt. Wright) got his Coy. in the advanced trench, next to that occupied by Capts. Hartwell and Hayes-Sadler. During the night his trench was attacked twice to my knowledge as I was with him during one attack, and with his Double Company Commander Major Wake, in the supporting trench during the other. He did all that man could do to keep his Command in hand, and acted with the greatest courage and coolness. During the very trying shell fire to which these trenches were subjected from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the 30th Oct., he did all it was possible to do. During this time he was wounded, but continued to command his men. When the furious attack developed, it was mainly directed on to his trench and that held by Capt. Sadler. He repelled line after line of the enemy, and held on till a very large proportion of his men had been killed or wounded, and till he himself was killed. What could a man do more? A soldier can do no more than die at his post--game to the last!" General Sir George Richardson wrote: "I had the honour of knowing your boy at Poona, when I was G.O.C. 5th Division, and formed the very highest opinion of him, socially and officially. We all loved him as a first class sportsman and a first class soldier"; and Major-General H. D. Keary, Commanding Meerut Division, wrote: "Professionally I was astonished at the rapidity with which he picked up his profession as an officer in a Gurkha Regt. in surroundings entirely foreign to anything he had previously seen, his previous service having been mostly in the Army Service Corps. I did, in fact, make a special note in the first Annual Confidential Report I wrote of him of my appreciation of the aptitude he had shown in this respect. Throughout the time he served under me, he showed the greatest zeal and capacity, and was an officer in whom I had the greatest confidence, and acknowledge that whatever work he had to do would be well and conscientiously done. He was a good soldier a |