George Edward Wood is to the right of his mother
Tyne Cot Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
George Edward Wood was born July 22nd 1893 at Stillington, County Durham, one of 18 children of whom only 14 survived he was the 5th born of 8 sons and 6 daughters. His father Robert Wood of Bishopton, County Durham, born 1851 married at St. Andrew, Haughton-le-Skerne, Darlington, November 30th 1875 to Margaret Wilson born 1855 at Morley, near Bishop Auckland, County Durham. Prior to his marriage Robert Wood was a servant/farm labourer at Trimdon village employed by Matthew Maughan, in 1881 he is listed as living with his family at Stillington, a farmer of 260 acres and was assisted by his sons, including George Edward, once they left school, by 1911 they had moved to Merton Grange Farm, Stillington near Ferryhill.
George Edward enlisted at Stockton and was assigned firstly as Private 2933 to the Durham Light Infantry and later transferred to the 20th Battalion D.L.I. as Private 203045.
The newly formed 20th Battalion had trained during 1915 at Sunderland drilling on a local cricket pitch before being moved in August 1915 to a tented camp at Wensley in North Yorkshire. Although still without rifles or equipment their training continued until bad weather in the October forced them into billets at Barnard Castle where they stayed until January 1916 when they were moved for final training to Aldershot joining the newly formed 41st Division.
The 20th Battalion as part of the 41st Division landed in France early May 1916 and entered the front line trenches May 29th north of Armentieres for the first time. Over the next three months they were involved in trench warfare on the Western Front and suffered casualties almost every day. They participated during 1916 at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, September 15th-22nd where they lost over 100 men due mostly to shell fire and at the Battle of Le Transloy where October 1st, after a week in reserve cleaning and re-equipping they returned to the battlefields of the Somme near Guillermont before moving north to Flanders (Belgium).
They spent the winter of 1916-17 patrolling no-man's land, digging and repairing trenches and not having received any replacements the battalion was reduced to only 450 of the original 1,000 who had landed in France.
June 7th 1917 a series of mines were exploded under the German trenches on Messiness Ridge, the 20th Battalion having received reinforcements went over the top in four waves to attack the German held trenches, they reached their objective with over 430 casualties. A few weeks later after a period of rest they joined the fighting south of Menin Road where a battle ensued from September 20th-26th.
Private 203045 George Edward Wood Durham Light Infantry was presumed to have been killed in action September 21st 1917. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the names inscribed on the Tyne Cot Memorial to the Missing which forms the backdrop to Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, near Ypres in Belgium, commemorating servicemen from the United Kingdom who were killed in action on the Ypres salient during the Battle of Passchendaele as of August 15th 1917, who have no known grave. He was 24 years old and single.
His father Robert received all monies due to him and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
News of George Edward’s death came 5 months after that of his younger brother Harold Wood who died of wounds April 24th 1917 and interred at Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux, Pas de Calais France. Recipient of the British War Medal and Victory Medal he was 20 years of age and single.
Margaret Wood nee Wilson of Merton Grange Farm died February 21st 1922, aged 67 years leaving effects in the sum of 105 pounds 15 shillings and 9 pence to her husband Robert. Robert Wood aged 81 years died September 29th 1932 at Carter Moor Farm, Egglescliffe, County Durham, leaving effects in the sum of 1,300 pounds to his 2nd born, unmarried daughter, Elizabeth Ann Wood.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
George Edward Wood is remembered at Stillington on S137.01 and S137.02
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance page 257
