Mark Wright (British Army soldier)
Mark Wright | |
|---|---|
 Corporal Mark Wright | |
| Born | 22 April 1979 Edinburgh, Scotland |
| Died | 6 September 2006 (aged 27) Helmand Province, Afghanistan |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1999–2006 |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | Parachute Regiment |
| Battles/wars | The Troubles Iraq War War in Afghanistan |
| Awards | George Cross |
Mark William Wright,
Early life
Before he joined the military, Wright lived in Edinburgh.
Military career
Wright joined the British Army in January 1999. After training, he joined the 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment in October 1999. He completed three tours in Northern Ireland within three years, and was Number One in a mortar detachment by 2003. He was deployed to Iraq with his battalion in May 2003. Back in the United Kingdom, he was promoted to corporal. He became a Mortar Fire Controller, and was deployed to Helmand Province with his battalion in May 2006.[3]
Death
On 6 September 2006, Wright was on routine patrol in the region of
Reaction
On 14 January 2008, The Guardian reported (based on a pre-publication copy of the board of enquiry's report) that Wright might have been saved if the British Army had had adequate numbers of winch-equipped helicopters available. Most winches had been withdrawn due to a fault in a sub-system, meaning that Wright and his colleagues had to wait over five hours before being evacuated by a United States' Black Hawk helicopter. The military report also criticised the facts that: the British troops did not have a map of the minefield, although they were available; British troops had to provide their own mine extraction kits; and that radio problems on the day led to communications breakdown.[4]
In October 2008 an
Mark Wright House
On 17 August 2009, the first purpose-built Army Recovery Centre to be set up in the United Kingdom was officially opened and named "Mark Wright House" in honour of Wright. The centre has been jointly developed by the army, and charities Erskine and Help for Heroes, and is based at Erskine's Edinburgh Home in Gilmerton. The centre provides a dedicated 12-bed unit for army personnel recovering from injuries, and is designed to ease the transition from medical care at centres such as Headley Court to a return home. As such, the facility also provides facilities for the families of the injured personnel.[6]
Legacy
Scottish actor David Elliot portrayed Mark Wright in the 2014 film Kajaki, which depicted the events at Kajaki dam. The film was released in the United States on Netflix under the title of Kilo Two Bravo.
Mark Wright Memorial Degree Team
Mark Wright was a
References
- ^ Operational Honours: VC and GC for acts of exceptional valour Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine, MOD press release, 14 December 2006.
- ^ a b "No. 58182". The London Gazette (Supplement). 15 December 2006. pp. 17352–17353.
- ^ Corporal Mark William Wright killed in Afghanistan, MOD press release, 7 September 2006.
- ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard (14 January 2008). "Soldier's death in Afghanistan blamed on helicopter fault". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 14 January 2008.
- ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard (9 October 2008). "Nato red tape is blamed for para's death". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 9 October 2008.
- ^ "UK's first Army Recovery Centre opens". Ministry of Defence. 17 August 2009.
- ^ "Brethren, it's time for a summer recess... – Lodge Toryglen 1561". Facebook. 3 July 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
- ^ "Provincial Grand Lodge of Glasgow - Home Page". Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2016.