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2654 Trooper T.H.F.Wright, Natal Police


This is an unusual but confirmed QSA with single date clasp entitlement to the Natal Police.

2654 Wright, T H F joined the Natal Police on 3/9/1901, so clearly qualified for the 1901 clasp.

The two date clasps are the standard combination for the men contemporary with Wright. However, Wright appears on the Natal Police roll dated 12th August 1908 as being entitled to the 1901 clasp only. There is clearly a story behind this single clasp entitlement. The enlistment register in the PMB Archives shows no discharge date under the “Remarks” as is noted for other men on the page.

As far as I can tell then, this is the only Natal Police man to have the single SA 1901 clasp attached to his QSA. To those who collect single-clasp QSA’S this might be regarded as a real treasure.


Thomas Wright was born circa 1883 and passed away in Durban aged 64 years at the Parklands Nursing Home on the 26th June 1947.

According to his Death notice which was found in the PMB Archives, his birth place was given as Hull, England and his normal place of residence was given as 40, The Mansions, West Street, Durban. Occupation was Bar Manager and that he died from amongst other things, Cirrhosis of the Liver.

Wright joined the Natal Police on the 3rd September 1901 in the UK aged approx 18 years and travelled to SA on the Braemar Castle. His enlistment was completed in Pietermaritzburg. His enlistment entry shows his next of Kin as his Grandmother, Mrs Kenyon of 25 Cavendish Place, Warwick Road, Carlisle. (REF: NMP 6 page 226)

Wright it would seem, served until the end of the Boer War and remained with the Natal Police until some point after the Natal Rebellion in 1906.

Wright was married to Nellie Wright, born Seymour - Hosley who passed away on the 3rd April 1941 in Addington Hospital, Durban from malnutrition and cerebral hemorrhage.

As he died Intestate, other documents were in his Estate file and these show that he had two Brothers and one Sister. One of the Brothers was KIA on the 4th November 1916 at Ypres.

The surviving Sister arrived in Durban from England in 1949. She was then informed that Wright had passed away in 1947 and she wrote an affidavit to the effect that she had not seen her Brother for 47 years and felt that she was entitled to a portion of her late Brothers estate.

Nothing further could be found pertaining to his life in Durban other than he worked as a Bar Manager up until his death.

Adrian,

That's a lovely group and the pictures are excellent too.

My brother and I started out quite a few years ago to collect all the clasps as single and managed about 18 before we became stuck with a distinct lack of supply. Your SA01 clasp is very nice.

Thanks again
David

Hello David,

Thanks for the kind words, yes it is a rather nice and somewhat rare group.

Adrian