WRIGHT, George Arthur Charles
| Service Number: | NX48618 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 October 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | Headquarters British Commonwealth Forces Korea |
| Born: | Forest Lodge, New South Wales, Australia, 22 July 1924 |
| Home Town: | Arncliffe, Rockdale, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Unknown |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Injuries sustained in a vehicle accident, Japan, 27 April 1946, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Yokohama War Cemetery B.C.O.F. Grave Reference: Aust. Sec. E. C. 2. Cemetery: |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Oct 1941: | Enlisted Private, NX48618 |
|---|
Occupation Force Japan - BCOF Service
| 1 Nov 1945: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, NX48618 | |
|---|---|---|
| 22 Apr 1946: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Private, NX48618, Headquarters British Commonwealth Forces Korea |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Steve Larkins
George Arthur Charles ('Sonny') WRIGHT
Served as O'NEILL, Pte. Colin Robert NX48618
'Sonny' Wright was the son of George Edward and Alice May Wright originally of Forest Lodge NSW. Sonny had a younger brother named Keith.
In the mid 1930s, George and Alice had parted ways and George, with his two boys in tow was living with Winnifred (known as 'Winnie' or 'Lucy') Larkins in Station Street Arncliffe. Winnie had a son and daughter named Frank and Dorothy respectively. Winifred had divorced her husband Jack in 1937, a non-trivial event in 1930's Catholic society.
The two Wright boys and Frank Larkins (/explore/people/378847) became lifelong friends.
When war broke out it wasn't long before Sonny tried to enlist.
One minor problem; at the time of enlistment Sonny was only 15 years old. Solution, he used the driver's licence of Frank's uncle Colin Ross O'Neil as proof of identity (and age). Colin was only a few years older than Frank and Sonny, and Sonny got away with his subterfuge. So Sonny ultimately served out the war as C. R. O'Neill.
He served in the Middle East at El Alamin and later in New Guinea and Borneo. At war's end he transferred to the British Commonwelath Occupation Force for service in Japan but was killed in a vehicle accident aged just 21 years old, having served throughout most of the the war and beyond.
He was originally buried under his assumed name of C.R. O'Neil, but the record was subsequently corrected, and he is now listed in the Yokohama War Cemtery by his correct name.
The WW2 nominal roll records the details against this service number as those of Colin O'Neil - due to Sonny's use of Colins licence on enlistment. His alter ego, the REAL Colin O'Neill, was NX37021. His real (as opposed to Colin O'Neill's) date of birth also remains a bit of a mystery which we are working to resolve.
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