Basic Details
Surname
Wright
Forenames
J R B
Gender
Male
Information stated on memorial
Alternative forename
John Roger Bodley (Roger)
Served or died
Died
Honours
Distinguished Service Order
Notes
John Roger Bodley Wright, known as Roger, was born in Kent on 6 October 1919, the son of Dorothea (née Mahler) and Ralph Fletcher Wright. He was educated at the Dragon School, Oxford, from 1930 to 1933, where he played cricket, rugby and hockey, and went on to Bradfield College from 1933 to 1938 on an exhibition where he was a member of the school football, rugby and cricket teams. Roger Wright entered Worcester College, Oxford on 7 October 1938 but left without taking a degree following the outbreak of war.
Roger Wright enlisted as a Private in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in September 1939, before being commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in the summer of 1940. He joined the 7th Battalion of his regiment on 27 June 1940. After two years of training in England he embarked for overseas service in August 1942, the same month he became engaged to Daphne Dunkerley. Roger Wright served firstly in Iraq before deploying to Tunisia for the final stages of the North African campaign where they saw action at Enfidaville. He was appointed as A Company Commander on 25 January 1943. On the conclusion of the fighting in Tunisia a further period of training followed before the Battalion was posted to Italy where he saw action in heavy fighting in October and November 1943 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his actions there.
Captain Roger Wright was severely wounded in action at San Clemente on 10 November 1943 while making a personal reconnaissance. He was evacuated to a dressing station where he was operated on, but he died on 13 November 1943 without regaining consciousness. He was 24 years old.
Roger Wright is buried at Naples War Cemetery in Italy and commemorated on the war memorials at the Dragon School, Bradfield College, and Worcester College, Oxford.
Primary Service
Our References
Service (Primary - Our reference)
Rank / Title (Primary - Our reference)
Death and Burial details
Country of death
Italy
Country of burial
Italy
Town of burial
Naples
Year of death
1943
Month of death
November
Day of death
13
Age at death
24
Manner of death reference
Died of Wounds