Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War ‘Western Front’ D.S.O. group of five awarded to Major W. O. Wright, Royal Lancaster Regiment

Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel, with integral top riband bar; British War and Victory Medals, with M.I.D. oak leaves (Major W. O. Wright.); Territorial Force War Medal 1914-19 (Capt. W. O. Wright. R. Lanc. R.); France, Third Republic, Croix de Guerre, bronze, the reverse dated 1914-1918, with bronze star on riband, mounted as worn, very minor enamel damage to D.S.O., otherwise good very fine (5) £1,400-£1,800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The David Laban Collection of Territorial Force War Medal Groups.

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D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January 1918.

M.I.D. London Gazette 18 December 1917.

French Croix de Guerre London Gazette 7 October 1919.

William Oswald Wright, the only son of Mr. Samuel Wright, J.P., sometime Mayor of Morecambe, was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 5th Territorial Battalion, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment, and was promoted Captain in September 1910. ‘Shortly after his mobilisation in 1914 he was attached to the Duke of Wellington’s West Riding Regiment, and subsequently served as staff captain afterwards, Brigade Major of the 186th Infantry Brigade, 82nd West Riding Division in France, Belgium and Germany, until he was demobilised In 1919. Major Wright was thrice [sic - only once] Mentioned in Despatches, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and also the Croix de Guerre with bronze star. After the war Major Wright served on the architectural staff of the London County Council until his retirement 1943 on account of ill-health’ (the recipient’s obituary in the Lancaster Guardian, 3 August 1951 refers).