WRIGHT, Edwin Marsden

Born in Bourke, NSW.  Edwin Marsden Wright was the son of Canon E.H. Wright.  He enlisted at the age of 34 on 22 Feb 1915.  He gave his profession as Business Manager.  His next of kin was his wife, Violet May Wright of 160 Powlett Street, East Melbourne.  He was 5ft 8.5 ins., had fair hair and blue eyes. He disembarked at Suez on 7 Dec 1915.  Hospitalised with renal colic 12 Mar 1916, and embarked for Australia for 3 months change 12 Apr 1916.  Embarked Melbourne 21 Oct 1916, arrived Devonport, UK 28 Dec 1916.  Sick to hospital 12 Mar 1917. Proceeded to France 25 Apr 1917.  Appendicitis 9 Jun 1917.  Invalided out and embarked for Australia 10 Sep 1917.

On his return to Australia in 1917 he was appointed staff officer for invalid and returned soldiers and as such signed the certificates of discharge from the AIF for 57,000 soldiers.  He was given the honorary rank of Captain.   Later he became secretary of the Royal Automobile Club of Victoria and appointed Government secretary at Rabaul in 1921.  Moved to NSW c.1928. At the time of his death in 1937 aged 49, he was assistant director of the Australian National War Museum and had an office in the Exhibition Building.  The War Museum had been housed there between 1922 and 1925, before moving to Sydney and ultimately to Canberra.  However the War Memorial continued to use the Exhibition Building as it principal store until the 1940s, and as its main office in the 1930s. Wright died by suicide in a guest house in Victoria Parade, East Melbourne.  He and his wife had divorced in 1929.