Douglas Wright was born on the 10th June 1921 at Maybank, Porthill, Staffordshire the only son born to parents Edwin Wright born 1893 at Hanley, Staffordshire and Nellie née Nixon born 9th November 1895 in Smallthorne, Staffordshire.

Edwin and Nellie married at the Salem Methodist Church, Smallthorne in 1919. 

In the 1921 Census Douglas is 6 months old. He is living with his parents and grandparents at 23 Rangemore Terrace, Maybank, Porthill. His father Edwin aged 28 is a Warehouseman (Earthenware) at Ford and Son Ltd, Burslem. His mother Nellie aged 25 is on Home Duties. His grandfather, also Edwin Wright aged 61 is a Stone Polisher Lithographer at Wood Mitchell and Company Ltd at Hanley and his grandmother Francis aged 58 is on Home Duties.

Douglas’ father Edwin passed away in 1936.

In the 1939 Census Douglas is now a 18 year old single man employed as a Shipping Clerk (Pottery) living at 3 Watlands View South with his mother Nellie who is now aged 43 and employed as a Warehouse Woman (Pottery).

We do not know the precise date that Douglas joined the RAF but we can see he was serving with 97 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve as Sergeant 1576730 when he was killed in action on the 9th January 1943. He was a member of Lancaster Bomber crew, his role Rear Gunner.

His home base was Woodhall Spa in Lincolnshire.

He flew a number of operational missions as we see in the following list.

15 November 1942 - Bombing raid - Genoa

15/16 November 1942 - Bombing raid - Genoa - 1 x 4000lb bomb

23 November 1942 - Gardening-Mine Laying.

23/24 November 1942 - Gardening - Deodars area - 5 mines

8/9 December 1942 - Bombing raid - Turin - 1 x 4000lb bomb

6/7 December 1942 - Bombing raid - Mannheim

9/10 December 1942 - Bombing raid - Turin

20/21 December 1942 - Bombing raid - Duisburg

31 December 1942/1 January 1943 - Gardening - Deodars area - 4 mines

2/3 January 1943 - Gardening - Deodars area - 4 mines

7/8 January 1943 - Bombing raid - Essen

9/10 January 1943 - Bombing raid - Essen - 1 x 4000lb bomb - Aircraft R5738D F/Sgt S.Colbert, Sgts T.G.Hesketh, W.S.Hignell, D.D.Richardson, D.Dell, D.Wright, T.P.Bowles. Up 1707 – aircraft and crew missing. It is noted that DELL survived and was captured by the Germans.

The aircraft Douglas was in on his fateful mission to Essen was a Lancaster Bomber R5738 of 97 Squadron RAF. They took off from Woodhall Spa at 1707hrs and were shot down by a night fighter of the Luftwaffe, a BF110 piloted by Major Werner Streib and Unteroffizier Fischer. Shot down 4KM North of Maasbree at 1915hrs. They crashed at Siberie near Maasbree, Limburg, Netherlands.

Crew members:

F/S  S.R. Colbert - Killed - Son of George Cyril Colbert and Olive Bertha Colbert (née Haynes), of Orchard House, Cuxham, Oxfordshire.

Sgt  T.G. Hesketh - Killed -  Son of Thomas Hesketh and Ellen Hesketh (née Lowe). Husband of Sarah A. Hesketh (née Harrison), of Maghull, Lancashire. Marriage in Ormskirk, Lancashire in June 1941. 

 Sgt  D.D. Richardson - Killed -  Son of Joseph and Elsie Hird, of Frizinghall, Bradford, Yorkshire.

Sgt  W.S. Hignell  RCAF - Killed  -  Son of Henry Alexander Hignell and Christina Helen Hignell (née Thornton), of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Sgt  D.J. Dell (Donald Joseph) R67066 WO1 RCAF - Taken POW - Captured 11.01.1943 and held at Stalag 344 Lamsdorf, Poland, subsequently Gorltz and Fallingbostel.

Sgt  T.P. Bowles - Killed -  Son of Patrick Bowles and Ann Bowles (née Langham), of Selby, Yorkshire.

Sgt  D. Wright - Killed.  

Sergeant Douglas Wright was initially buried at Venlo Military Cemetery in row 20, grave 201, Limburg, the Netherlands and reburied on 28/08/1947 in Jonkerbos War Cemetery, his final resting place. 

The epitaph on his headstone reads ‘ LIFE'S BATTLE ENDED, HE SLEEPS’

An article in the Staffordshire Sentinel dated January 26th 1943 

PORTHILL AIRMAN MISSING

News has been received by Mrs. N. Wright. 3. Watlands-View South, Porthill, that her son, Sergeant Douglas Wright, R.A.F.. is missing from operations. Sergeant Wright was educated at Wolstanton County Grammar School, and before joining the R.A.F. was employed by Messrs. Doultons, Burslem. and later in a war factory. 

For his sacrifice he was awarded the 1939-45 Star,  Air Crew Europe, War Medal 1939-45.

Douglas’ father Edwin had enlisted to the Royal Fusiliers in WW1 and given service number 3578. He enlisted on the 3rd September 1914 but was discharged on the 21st October 1914 Unlikely To Become An Efficient Soldier.

With grateful thanks to Peter Clermonts of the Facebook Group JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY. and Volunteers Sue O'shea, Tracey Van Oeffelen, Clare Wilson, Cheryl Stannard, Sheena Semple, Neil Maclean, Bryan Johncock, Richard Hendricks, Rick Dewaal, Ben Mulder and Theo Vervoort.  

SOURCES.

• General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 6b; Page: 795
• WRIGHT, DOUGLAS NIXON GRO Reference: 1921 S Quarter in WOLSTANTON  Volume 06B  Page 129
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; War Office: Soldiers' Documents from Pension Claims, First World War (Microfilm Copies and Medical Cards); Reference: WO364; Piece: 4866
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; Census Returns of England and Wales, 1911
• The National Archives of the UK (TNA); Kew, Surrey, England; 1921 Census Returns; Reference: RG 15/12572, ED 7, Sch 349; Book: 12572
• The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/5408B
• https://www.fold3.com/record/747349899/wright-douglas-uk-wwi-wwii-commonwealth-war-graves-commission-death-registers
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13827925/douglas-wright 
• WARGRAVES.EU
• ANCESTRY WW2 ALLIED POW RECORDS
• International Bomber Command Centre; Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England; Losses Database: Https://Internationalbcc.Co.Uk/History-Archive/Losses-Database/
• NATIONAL ARCHIVES ORB SUMMARY OF EVENTS AIR27/767/1
• NATIONAL ARCHIVES ORB RECORD OF EVENTS AIR27/767/2
• JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY FACEBOOK
• COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION
• Photo of Douglas Wright by Tracey van Oeffelen - Jonkerbos war cemetery Facebook
• Research by Sue O’Shea, Bryan Johncock, Tracey van Oeffelen and Peter Clermonts - Facebook page
• https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000525/19430126/020/0001?browse=true