Sex
Male
Status
Deceased
Michael Wright was born in Hong Kong in 1912, fought here in the Volunteers in 1941 and spent the rest of the war as a POW. Afterwards he returned to the Public Works Department, eventually becoming the Director of Public Works in the 1960s.
There's a very good recording of him describing his life, called "The Wright Chronicle". It's worth attending a screening if you get a chance. Chloe Lai, the interviewer, talked about it on the Hong Kong Heritage radio programme: http://podcast.rthk.hk/podcast/item_epi.php?pid=164&lang=en-US&id=89343
The SCMP have published an obituary: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/2131227/hong-kongs-…
Comments
further interviews on the radio program
Using similar method, I could re-locate a 3-part series interview in the same program by the host (link of the 2nd).
Some written version by Annemarie on SCMP Hong Kong’s ‘father of public housing’ recalls POW camp life and ... challenges in 60s in 2018 could still be read via the Internet Archive.
About Chloe Lai's short interview, I think you refer to the 2018-4-22 programme. It is brief (from 25'39"), but recounted the background of her work with Michael Wright. Written extract from part of the work is shared on the 'Urban Diary' (here).
In fact, Wright was interviewed in 'Time to Remember' by W. Barnes back in 1969. It could still be listened online via MMIS (c. 45 mins), though the sound quality is a bit shaky after the years.
p.s. Mr Wright may be remembered and known by people in Hong Kong more by his transliterated name 鄔勵德, as a public housing estate 勵德邨 (Lai Tak Tsuen) in Tai Hang is actually named after him.