Theodore Wright was born in Brighton on 15th May 1883. Wright was educated at Clifton College and went to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich. In October 1902 he joined the Royal Engineers and after serving in Gibraltar and Cairo he was made Lieutenant in June 1905.

At the start of the First World War Captain Wright was serving in the 56th Field Company of the Royal Engineers. He was immediately sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force and arrived at Mons on 22nd August, 1914. The following day he was detailed to supervise the destruction of eight of the bridges over the canal. Although wounded by shrapnel early in the operation, Wright continued to set charges under the bridges. Working with Lance-Corporal Charles Jarvis, Wright managed to destroy Jemappes Bridge.

Captain Theodore Wright recovered from his wounds but on the 14th September he was killed while helping an injured man across a pontoon bridge at Vailly. The Victoria Cross was awarded posthumously on 16th November 1914.