On Tower Hill Memorial is the name of Chief Officer Stephen Wood, serving on S.S. Sheaf Mead (Newcastle upon Tyne) with the Merchant Navy who died 27/05/1940.

The son of Robert and Elizabeth Wood and the husband of Eva Wood, of Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Type: Steam merchant. Tonnage 5,008 tons Completed 1924 – R. Duncan & Co Ltd, Port Glasgow Owner W.A. Souter & Co Ltd, Newcastle upon Tyne Homeport Newcastle.

At 15.51 hours on the 27th May 1940 the unescorted Sheaf Mead (Master Alexander Henderson Still) was hit in the stern by one torpedo from U Boat U-37, commanded by Fregattenkapitn Victor Oehrn , and sank capsizing after a boiler explosion at 15.54 hours about 180 miles from Cape Finisterre. The Germans tried to question the survivors on a raft, but they did not answer the questions. The master, 30 crew members and one gunner were lost. Five crew members were picked up by Frangoula B. Goulandris and landed at Queenstown, Cork on the 31st May.

Stephen Wood, is remembered at Fenham on F31.05, at Newcastle on NUT015 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.