Medals from the Collection of Brigadier Brian Parritt, C.B.E.

Pair: Major J. T. Wright, Royal Engineers

India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Jowaki 1877-8 (Captain I. T. Wright, Royal Engrs.) note incorrect initial; Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Capt. J. T. Wright, R.E.) some contact marks and edge bruising, nearly very fine (2) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Brigadier Brian Parritt, C.B.E..

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John Thomas Wright was born in December 1843. He joined the Royal Military Academy as a Gentleman Cadet in February 1862 and was commissioned into the Royal Engineers as a Lieutenant in December 1864. After five years service in the U.K. he sailed for India to join the Department of Public Works. For the next nine years he served in India, firstly as an Assistant Engineer Grade 2 at Chuckrata and Kalsi, then as an Assistant Engineer Grade 1 at Futtehpore and Rawalpindi. In 1876 he was promoted to Executive Engineer Grade 3 and posted to Peshawar and was promoted to Captain in January 1878. During November 1877-January 1878 he was with the Peshawar Column under Brigadier C. C. G. Ross. The Engineers were employed in blowing up the Jowaki Afridi Forts and in constructing a road through the tribal areas. For his services he was awarded the medal and clasp. Serving then in the Afghan War, he was part of the Peshawar Valley Field Force under Sir Samuel Brown V.C. Not present at the capture of Ali Musjid, he was awarded the medal without clasp. After a period of leave in England, he was in 1881 appointed Executive Engineer Grade 2 to the Presidency and Oudh Command at Allahabad. The following year he returned to England where he was posted to command No.4 Company R.E. at the School of Military Engineering, Chatham. Attaining the rank of Major in December 1884, his final appointment was as Adjutant of the 1st Middlesex Engineer Volunteers based at Fulham, London, 1884-88. He retired from the service in July 1889 and died at St. Idenc, France on 22 February 1914. Sold with copied service details.