George Wood
Wood Brothers
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
George Wood was born 1891 at Felling, Gateshead, County Durham, one of 10 known children, 6 sons and 4 daughters born to Thomas Wood, native of Wooler, Northumberland born 1846 and his wife Elizabeth Parkinson born 1856 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland, whom he married in the district of Gateshead in 1876. He and Elizabeth along with their 4 children, his widowed mother, brother Robert and nephew Adam were living in 1881 at Dixon’s Property, Heworth, Gateshead, Thomas and his brother were employed as coal miners, at the time of George’s birth they were at 4, Albion Street Back. By 1901 their family was complete, Thomas and his elder sons Robert, Thomas Jnr and Andrew were all employed as shifters at the colliery. George's father died between 1901 and 1911, exact date unknown. His widow Elizabeth moved to 1, Drummond Row, Windy Nook, Gateshead supported by her three youngest sons, Andrew (26) a hewer, George (19) employed as a putter, William known as Willie (15) was a pony driver.
George Wood married Mary Davison at Gateshead Registry Office, February 22nd 1913, their daughter Margaret Davison Wood was born December 28th.
On the outbreak of war George was 22 years old and his wife was pregnant with their second child. He enlisted at Felling, October 27th 1914 along with his elder brother Andrew, both were assigned as Privates to the Durham Light Infantry, George as 21063, Andrew as 21036. The following day Private George Woods joined the Regiment at Newcastle-upon-Tyne assigned to the 13th Battalion one of the new army battalions. The 13th Battalion attached to the 68rd Brigade, 23rd Division moved to Aldershot in November and on to Willesborough, Kent in March 1915 and by May they were at Bramshot. Just prior to his departure for the front he received news that his new born son Robert Davison Wood born May 24th 1915 had died of epidemic diarrhoea and convulsions August 13th and received an advance of his allowance of 2 shillings 7 pence to pay for his son’s death certificate.
The Regiment departed to France as part of the British Expeditionary Force, 68th Brigade, 23rd Division, August 26th 1915 concentrating near Tilques. September 5th they were attached to the III Corp and moved to Merris-Vieux for trench familiarisation from the 20th and 27th Division, taking over the front line sector between Ferme Grande Flamergrie to the Armentieres-Wez Macquart road in their own right by September 14th. Having been spared action during the Battle of Loos, they spent the rest of 1915 and early 1916 in and out of the trenches at Armentieres and Souchez.
His brother Private 21036 Andrew Wood had also been assigned to the 13th Battalion and news would have reached George that his brother had been killed January 6th 1916.
In late June 1916, the 23rd Division was moved south to the Somme and the 13th Battalion entered the fighting south of La Boisselle on July 7th 1916. In late July and early August, they were involved in desperate fighting around Munster Alley east of Pozieres, the battalion suffered over 100 casualties. After spending the rest of August in reserve at Armentieres, the battalion returned to the Somme with the 23rd Division. On October 7th, they joined an attack on Le Sars, after this fighting they left the Somme for the Ypres salient in Belgium. July 7th 1917 they successfully attached on Messines Ridge and saw action again in September at the Third Battle of Ypres in the fighting on the Menin Road.
In October 1917, the 13th Battalion DLI, as part of a combined French and British force, was sent to northern Italy, where Austrian and German forces had defeated the Italian Army at Caporetto and was threatening Venice. Whilst in Italy, they served in both the trenches on the Piave River and on the Asiago Plateau, however, before the final Allied advance across the Piave, the battalion was withdrawn from Italy in September 1918 to join the Allied advance on the Western Front in France joining the 74th Brigade, 25th Division at St. Riquier, September 19th 1918 and were in action during the Final Advance to Victory in Picardy.
On September 27th 1918 a larger attack by fifteen divisions was launched against Nord Canal and the Canadians took Bourlon Wood, the British and Canadians attacked and liberated Cambrai in two days, October 8th-9th 1918 whilst other attacks were taking place to the south on the Somme and in the Aisne sector.
Private 21063 George Wood Durham Light Infantry is deemed to have either been killed in action or to have died of wounds received in action, October 8th 1918. His sacrifice is recorded on Special Memorial 1 Beaurevoir British Cemetery, Aisne, France. His memorial is one of only 4 erected to soldiers from the United Kingdom known or believed to be buried amongst the 300 casualties commemorated within the cemetery, almost 50 of which are unidentified. Private Wood was 26 years old.
His widow Mary living at 7, The Stead, Windy Nook, Felling, Gateshead, County Durham, received all monies due to him from the Army, a pension for herself and their daughter, as per his will all property and effects also his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.All four of the “younger” Wood brothers enlisted. As mentioned above Private 21036 Andrew Wood served along with his brother George in the 13th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. He died January 6th 1916 aged 31 years and single, interred at Brewery Orchard Cemetery, Bois-Grenier, Nord, France, recipient of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory medal.
Six months later Lance Corporal 20/129 Thomas Wood serving with the 20th Battalion (Tyneside Scottish) Northumberland Fusiliers was killed in action July 1st 1916 and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, Thiepval France, he was 35 years old, awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
William Woods known as Willie enlisted aged 19 years and was assigned to the Royal Naval Division as a Private. He was the only one to survive the conflict of WW1 as he is listed along with his mother and siblings as, “next of kin“ in relation to both Andrew and Thomas in documents dated 1919 in relation to a war pension to be assigned to Mary Wood their mother.
Transcription error in newspaper cutting related to Wood brothers, third from the left and deceased should read as Andrew.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
George Wood is remembered at Heworth on H92.03 as Woods, H92.04 and H92.07 and at Windy Nook on W95.01 and W95.02
