Theodore Wright was born on 15 May 1883 in Hove, West Sussex, England to parents William and Arabella Wright. William was an American-born Catholic Minister. 

Theodore had four sisters and a brother. At some point, the family had moved to Guildford, Surrey.

After his early education at Clifton College before enrolling at the Royal Military College, Woolwich in South London. At Woolwich, Theodore represented the Army at cricket.

Theodore was commissioned in October 1902 and continued training at Chatham, Kent. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1905.

Theodore served in the Balloon Section at Aldershot and then Gibraltar until December 1906, after which he was transferred to the 2nd Fortress Company, Cairo, Egypt.

He returned to Aldershot in 1912 before taking on an advanced course at Chatham. Theodore was then posted to the 56th Field Company at Bulford Camp, Wiltshire as the Adjutant, 3rd Division, Royal Engineers. He was promoted to Captain soon afterwards.

Theodore went with the original professional soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force to France in 1914.

He was with the BEF when they fought the Battle of Mons, its first major engagement of the First World War.

With the Sixth German Army attacking in superior numbers, the Royal Engineers were doing their best to slow its advance. 

On 23 August 1914, Captain Wright was one of several men engaged in destroying several bridges to impede the German assault. Among their number was fellow VC winner Charles Jarvis.

Theodore oversaw the 57th Field Company’s preparations but, while crossing open ground on inspection, was struck in the head by shrapnel and wounded. 

The order to withdraw from Jemappes Station had been given, so the injured Captain set off by car to oversee the demolition of bridges at Nimy.

Theodore, still with no time to check on his injuries, headed for the bridge at Mariette.

Here, alongside Sergeant Smith, Captain Wright found the leads connected to the bridge explosives only reached the canal towpath.

The Captain wrapped longer leads around him and reached the canal-spanning girder bridge. Taking shelter under it, Theodore proceeded to swing hand over hand over to the far bank.

Time and again, he tried to connect the leads but each time he lifted his head, he was greeted by a torrent of furious German fire. Seeing it was impossible to reach the leads, Captain Wright eventually fell into the water, exhausted. He was pulled to safety by Sergeant Smith.

Later on September 14 at Vailly, Aubes, Theodore helped guide the 5th Cavalry Brigade on a pontoon bridge, where he was fatally wounded by shellfire. 

It was for these actions Captain Wright was awarded the Victoria Cross. His medal citation gives the following details:

“For Gallantry at Mons on 23rd August in attempting to connect up the lead to demolish a bridge under heavy fire; although wounded in the head he made a second attempt. At Vailly, on 14th September, he assisted the passage of 5th Cavalry Brigade over the pontoon bridge and was mortally wounded whilst assisting wounded men into shelter.”

Theodore was remembered for his coolness under fire. A Scots Greys officer later recalled:

“We got across the river the day before yesterday a bit before our time and we had to go back over a pontoon bridge considerably quicker than was pleasant, under a very heavy fire too.

“At the end of the bridge was an Engineer officer repairing bits blown off and putting down straw as cool as a cucumber – the finest thing I ever saw.

“The poor fellow was killed just after my troops got across. No man earned a better Victoria Cross.”

Captain Theodore Wright VC was buried close to where he died at Vailly British Cemetery, France.