Heslop’s Local Advertiser 10/09/1915
William Wood
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
William Wood was born at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham in 1871, one of 19 children, he was the 6th born of 13 sons and 6 daughters. His eldest brother William born 1855 died aged 14 years in 1869. William’s father James Wood was born in Ireland in 1827, brought to England by his parents, he was living at East Cramlington in 1851, he and his father working as labourers, his brother Patrick as a coal miner. James was married at Gateshead in 1854 to Ursula Hannah born at Heworth in 1837, the youngest daughter of Irish immigrant and widower William Hannah.
James Wood worked as a chemical labourer, in 1861 he, his wife and 4 children were living in the village of Felling Shore near Gateshead. By the time William was born they had moved to Carlisle Street, James’s employment was unchanged, his son Thomas (13) was a labourer at the iron works. William was a scholar at the age of 10, by the age of 20 he, his father, and brothers, Thomas (32), Henry (26) and Ambrose 14 were all working as coal miners. Ursula Wood died in 1895 aged 58 years, details of James Wood unknown, however his death preceded 1915.
When war broke out with Germany in 1914 William Wood was 43 years old and already beyond the maximum enlistment age which was 40 years, it is highly probable he told an untruth as regards his age when he went to enlist at Gateshead. He was assigned as Private 10857 to the 6th (Service) Battalion Yorkshire Regiment (Alexandra Princess of Wales’s Own), coming under the orders of the 32nd Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division.
They trained at Belton Park near Grantham and Whitley Camp in Surrey before sailing from Liverpool July 3rd 1915, via Mundros to Sulva Bay on the Aegean coast of the Gallipoli peninsula. They arrived August 6th 1915, the 32nd and 33rd Brigades of the 11th Division began to come ashore at "B Beach" south of Nibrunesi Point shortly before 10 pm. In the first action fought by a New Army unit, two companies from the 6th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, drove the Ottoman defenders off the small hillock of Lala Baba which overlooked the beach. It was however a bad start, all but two of the Yorkshires' officers became casualties as did one third of the men.
Private 10857 William Woods Yorkshire Regiment was severely wounded and evacuated in order to return to England aboard a hospital ship. Private Wood died of his wounds en route and was buried at sea.
His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 20.936 names inscribed on the Helles Memorial commemorating those who died during the Gallipoli campaign who have no known grave, panel 55-58 in particular is inscribed with the names of those who died and were buried at sea in Gallipoli waters. The memorial, in the form of an obelisk over 30 metres high stands on the tip of the Gallipoli peninsula and can be seen by ships passing through the Dardanelles.
William’s elder sister Clara Maguire nee Wood had been nominated by him as his sole beneficiary, she received all monies due to him and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Private William Woods was 44 years old and single.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Heslop’s Local Advertiser 10/09/1915 carries an In Memoriam notice which reads:
“Private William Wood, D. Coy., Yorkshire Regiment, at Dardanelles, on August 11th. Son of the late James and Ursula Wood, Felling. “
