Peter Harold Wright

He silenced three enemy guns and led his men to the hilltop.

Peter Harold Wright was born at Mettingham, Suffolk, on 10 August 1916. He worked on his father's farm before joining the Coldstream Guards in 1936. Posted to the 3rd Battalion, he served in Egypt and Palestine before the Second World War and rose through the non-commissioned ranks.

During the North African campaign he was wounded at Gazala in 1942. After recovering, he returned to his battalion and became a company sergeant major. In September 1943 the Coldstream Guards fought in the Salerno bridgehead in Italy.

On 25 September, his company was stopped below the crest of the Pagliarolli feature by machine-gun and mortar fire. All its officers had become casualties. Wright took command, reconnoitred the enemy positions and placed a section where it could cover him. He then attacked three machine-gun posts in succession with grenades and his bayonet.

He brought the company onto the objective, adjusted its position under fire and organised the defence against a counter-attack. Later, he carried forward and distributed ammunition despite heavy shelling and machine-gun fire. His leadership enabled the battalion to hold the hill.

Initially awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal, he received the Victoria Cross in its place. The announcement appeared in the London Gazette supplement issued on 7 September 1944. King George VI presented the cross at Buckingham Palace on 22 November 1944.

Wright subsequently served with a training battalion in Britain. He left the Army in 1945, married Mollie Hurren the following year and returned to farming in Suffolk. He died in Ipswich in April 1990 and was buried at All Saints, Ashbocking.

Victoria Cross citation

War Office, 7th September, 1944.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to: —

No. 2657545 Warrant Officer Class II (Company Sergeant-Major) Peter Harold Wright, Coldstream Guards (Wenhaston, Suffolk).

In Italy on the 25th September, 1943, the 3rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards, attacked the Pagliarolli feature, a steep wooded hill near Salerno. Before it reached the crest the right hand company was held up by heavy spandau and mortar fire and all the officers had become casualties. C.S.M. 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 returned with the information that three spandau posts were holding them up. He collected a section and put it into a position where it could give covering fire. Single-handed he then attacked each post in turn with hand grenades and bayonet and silenced each one. He then led the company on to the crest but realised that the enemy fire made this position untenable. C.S.M. Wright therefore led them a short way down the hill and up on to the objective from a different direction.

Entirely regardless of enemy fire, which was very heavy, C.S.M. Wright then re-organised what was left of the company and placed them into position to consolidate the objective. Soon afterwards the enemy launched a counter-attack which was successfully beaten off. Later, with complete disregard of heavy enemy shell-fire 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 superb disregard of the enemy's fire, his magnificent leadership and his outstanding heroism throughout the action that his battalion succeeded in capturing and maintaining its hold on this very important objective.

The KING having been graciously pleased to approve the award of the VICTORIA CROSS to C.S.M. Wright, the award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal for the same acts of gallantry, announced in the London Gazette of the 27th January, 1944 (No. 36349), is cancelled.