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CSM PETER HAROLD WRIGHT, VC.
Peter Harold Wright was born at Bungay, Suffolk on
10th August 1916. He enlisted into the Coldstream,
Guards on 7th October 1936, and was posted to the 3rd
Battalion in April 1937.
He served in Egypt and Palestine before the war, and
then in the North African desert and Italy during the
war.
He was promoted to Company Sergeant Major in April 1943,
and was awarded the Victoria Cross for his gallantry on
Hill 270, near Salerno, on 25th September 1943. He
returned to the UK in January 1944 after seven years
overseas, and was discharged on 30th March 1946.
He returned to farming in Suffolk, and died on 5th April
1990.
CSM Wright was originally awarded the Distinguished
Conduct Medal (DCM) which he was presented with by The
King on 6th June 1944. However, after reading the
citation, His Majesty directed that the award should be
cancelled and replaced with the Victoria Cross. When he
returned to Buckingham Palace to be presented with the
VC, he took the DCM with him expecting to have to hand
it in. However, no one asked for it, so he kept it! Many
years later he presented the DCM to the Regiment where
it now forms part of the Medal Collection.
In addition to the VC, he was also awarded the General
Service Medal 1918 with clasp ‘Palestine’, 1939-45 Star,
the Africa and Italy Stars, the Defence and War Medals,
and the 1953 Coronation and 1977 Silver Jubilee Medals.
EXTRACT FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE
07 Sept 1944
 Victoria Cross
The King has been graciously pleased to approve the
award of the Victoria Cross to 2657545 WOII (CSM) Peter
Harold WRIGHT, Coldstream Guards, (Wenhaston, Suffolk).
The King having been graciously pleased to approve the
award of the Victoria Cross to CSM Wright, the award of
the Distinguished Conduct Medal for the same acts of
gallantry announced in the London Gazette of 27th
January 1944 (No36349) is cancelled.
CITATION, PUBLISHED IN THE LONDON GAZETTE
The citation as originally published for the award of
the Distinguished Conduct Medal as announced in the
London Gazette 27th January 1944.
2657545 WOII (CSM) Peter Harold WRIGHT, 3rd Bn
Coldstream Guards
On 25th Sept 1943 3rd Bn Coldstream
Guards attacked PAGLIAROLLI feature, a steep wooded his
near SALERNO. Before they reached the crest the right
hand company were held up by heavy spandau and mortar
fire and all the officers had become casualties. CSM
 Wright,
seeing that his company was held up, went forward to see
what could be done. Finding that there were no officers
left he immediately took charge and crawled forward by
himself to see what the opposition was. He shortly
returned, collected a section, informed them that three
spandau posts were holding them up and put them into a
position where they could give covering fire. Single
handed he then attacked each post in turn with hand
grenade and bayonet and silenced each one. He then led
the company onto the crest but realised that the enemy
fire made this position untenable. He therefore led them
a short way down the hill again and up onto the
objective from a different direction. Entirely
regardless of enemy fire, which was very heavy, he then
reorganised what was left of the company and placed them
in a position to consolidate the objective. Soon
afterwards the enemy launched a counter attack which was
successfully beaten off. Later, with complete disregard
for heavy enemy shellfire on the area of company
headquarters and the reverse slopes of the hill and of
machine gun fire from the commanding slopes on the left
flank of the position, he brought up extra ammunition
and distributed it to the company. It is due to this
Warrant Officer’s complete disregard of the enemy’s
fire, his magnificent leadership and outstanding heroism
throughout the action that his battalion succeeded in
capturing and maintaining their hold on this very
important objective.
Signed by D W Forbes, Major, Commanding 3 Coldm Gds
I was watching this attack from a hill in the rear. I
saw the right hand company held up under heavy mortar
fire. I then saw it move up to the crest, later withdraw
and go up to the crest further to the left. All through
this period the company was under heavy and accurate
mortar fire and there was the sound of many spandaus
firing. The results of the later I was of course unable
to see.
Signed by J A Gascoigne, Brigadier, Commanding 201
Guards Bde
The
location of his medal(s)
is not publicly held.
RELATED IMAGES/INFORMATION
More information on Wright can be found below:
Wikipedia External Link
Wright Family Website (excellent source of
information & lots of images and newspaper scans)
Images
The images below are scans of the boys magazine "Victor"
- on sale Feb 1st 1964. Detailing the VC in cartoon
detail. With thanks to Smudge712 for sending us
the scans.
 
Image
Peter Wright, with painting of Captain Liddell's action,
which led to the award of V.C to Captain Liddell. Action
dated 3rd April 1945 Germany (Bridge over the river Ems
near Lingen).
Painting commissioned May 1989 by the Coldstream Guards.
Image
Peter Wright, with print of Peter Archer's painting
(shown above in colour) of the action in Salerno which
resulted in the VC.
MEDAL
ENTITLEMENT OF:
Company Sergeant Major Peter WRIGHT (Coldstream
Guards)
Victoria Cross
General Service Medal ( 1918-62 )
1 clasp "Palestine"
1939 - 45 Star
Africa Star + clasp "8th Army"
Italy Star
Defence Medal ( 1939-45 )
War Medal ( 1939-45 )
Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal ( 1953 )
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal ( 1977 ) |
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