Page 7 - Real Rochdale Issue 16 Winter 2022

On 20 March 1948, Ken brigade, which consisted of
D-Day veteran from Rochdale married Nellie Cockcroft, and 1/ Suffolk regiment (made up
they had a son, Alan, in 1954.
of A, B and C companies), 2/
celebrates his 100th birthday Alan and his wife, Lorraine, East Yorkshire and 1/South
Lancashire.
have three children, Dean, 36,
Adam, 35, and Laura, 30, and
one great-grandchild. 1/Suffolk was the last
battalion of the brigade to
Ken and Nellie were married land, acting as a reserve and
until her death at the age of with further instructions
81, on 20 December 2010. beyond the taking of the
beach itself.
Ken picked up golf as a hobby
when he was 50, thanks to his Part of C company, the
younger brother, and joined rifleman sniper believes
Castle Hawk two years later, he may be one of the few
after picking up a full set of survivors still alive today to
golf clubs from a second-hand have landed on the first day.
shop for £18.
The Royal British Legion said Private Ken Wright, in Egypt in 1945
Reflecting on his time in that the charity was “aware”
the army as a private, Ken of a few D-Day veterans from
revealed he was one of the other regions and platoons
first soldiers to land on who landed on other beaches, In 2008, Ken made his first
Sword Beach during the but none from Ken’s. return to France since the war,
D-Day landings with the 8th where he and his family visited
the grave of Private John
Sidlow, his best friend who had
been killed in action.

“I didn’t know what town or
cemetery he was buried at,”
The Wright family: daughter-in-law Lorraine, grandson Adam, Ken, grandson Dean, granddaughter Laura and son Alan
Ken said. “We were driving
when we saw a sign saying
A war hero believed to be Rochdale’s only One of five children, Ken was born to his there was a British cemetery,
surviving D-Day veteran has celebrated his Rochdale father, Fred – who served in World so we parked up and went to
100th birthday. War One – and his Shropshire mother, look. Alan and my grandsons
Mary-Ann, on 10 October 1922. were off – and they somehow
Ken Wright was treated to a golf tournament in walked straight to John’s grave,
his honour at Castle Hawk golf club, where he Ken attended Newbold Comprehensive until like they knew where he was.”
was greeted by an officer from his old regiment, he was 14 when he went to work in a cotton
the Suffolks, piper escorts and standard bearers mill. After a run in with a lorry on the first day He has since returned to
from the British Legion. of spring when cycling to work, he moved into Normandy for the 70th and
construction before he was called up to the Army 75th anniversaries of the
He was chauffeured in a World War Two jeep to on 15 January 1942. D-Day landings, and plans to
the first hole at the club, where he teed off the return for the 80th in 2024.
tournament – aptly named the Ken Wright Cup. Ken was called up to the Suffolk regiment,
1st Battalion, where he served until he was In 2016, Ken was appointed to
It is believed Ken is the only surviving veteran demobbed after five years and one week. the rank of Chevalier (Knight)
who landed on Sword Beach with the 8th in the prestigious Legion of
brigade, part of 3rd British Infantry Division on 6 Fortunate enough to make it through the war Honour, France’s highest
June 1944; the Royal British Legion has said that unwounded, he went back into construction honour.
Ken is Rochdale’s only D-Day veteran that they before retiring, aged 65.
are aware of. Ken Wright being interviewed by Rob Smith from ITV

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