Private 17070 Horace Albert Wood


Killed in Action on Tuesday, 11th April 1916, age 23.
Commemorated on Panel 20 of Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

7th Bn., Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry. 61st Brigade of 20th Division.

Son of Thomas and Elizabeth Wood, of 12A, Horseley Rd., Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Birmingham, Resident: Tipton.

First landed France & Flanders, 3rd August 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/911772/


Genealogical Data

1901 Census
Back of 12 Horseley Road, Tipton, Staffs.
Thomas Wood (44, Painter in Iron Works, born Wolverhampton), his wife Elizabeth (42, born West Bromwich), and their 6 children: Thomas James (18, Blacksmith's Striker, born Tipton), William Edward (13, born Tipton), Walter John (12, born Tipton), Harold (9, born Tipton), Horace Albert (8, born Tipton), and Samuel Arthur (6, born Tipton).

1911 Census
12a Horseley Road, Tipton, Staffs.
Thomas Wood (54, Bridge or Girder Painter, born Wolverhampton), his wife Elizabeth (52, born West Bromwich), and 3 of their 5 surviving children of 10: Harold (19, Plater's Helper, born Tipton), Horace (18, Plater's Helper, born Tipton), and Samuel Arthur (16, House Painter, born Tipton).


Personal Data

Horace's brother, William John Wood, was killed in action on 1st July 1917 serving with the Coldstream Guards. William was likley to have been killed about 1000 yards south-west of Boezinge - it is likely that Horace was killed about 1 mile south east of Boezinge some 15 months earlier.

After Horace's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £2/8/5d (2 pounds, 8 shillings and 5 pence). This was distributed between August 1916 and April 1917 to his mother Elizabeth (£0/19/5d), to Mrs Mary A. Wood (£0/9/8d), brother Harold (£0/9/8d), and brother Samuel A. (£0/9/8d). His War Gratuity was £5/10/0d (5 pounds and 10 shillings), this was paid to his mother in November 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Horace had enlisted in approximately December 1914.

A Dependant's Pension was awarded to Horace's mother, Mrs Elizabeth Wood of 12a Horseley Road, Tipton. The pension amount changed on numerous occasions, from an inital sum of 5/0d per week, to 8/6d per week for life from 4th April 1917, to 15/0d per week from 10th January 1919, to 18/0d per week from 7th February 1922, to 9/7d per week from 3rd October 1922, to the final value recorded 8/0d per week from 1st April 1923.


Action resulting in his death

The War Diary for the 7th Battalion, Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry (7/DCLI), records them taking over trenches E26 to E28 on 7th April 1916. These trenches were the British Front Line about a mile south-east of Boezinge, to the east of the Ypres Canal, about 2½ miles north of Ypres. This is close to the location of the Welsh Cemetery (Caesar’s Nose) Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery.

The situation was relatively quiet over the following few days, but on 11th April the Germans launched a significant and accurate mortar attack on Trench E28. Over 60 soldiers in Trench E28 were casualties, with 23 men of the 7/DCLI being killed on the day and a number dying from their wounds in subsequent days.

Just 2 of the 23 men killed have a known grave, in adjacent graves in Bard Cottage Cemetery. The other 21, including Horace Wood, have no known grave and are commemorated on the Menin Gate in Ypres.

Wood Horace Trench 28


Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald probably April/May 1916
MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR A TIPTON SOLDIER.
Private Horace Wood, of the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, whose death has been officially reported, was killed in action on April 11th. He was 23 years of age, and enlisted on December 1st 1914. He leaves a widowed mother and two brothers, both of whom are now serving in France. Their home is still at 12a, Horseley Road, Tipton, where only the widowed mother is left to mourn her loss. The deceased soldier was working at Messrs. Braithwaite's Bridge and Girder Works, Great Bridge, at the time of his enlistment.

A memorial service in honour of the dead hero was held on Sunday evening last in the pretty Wesleyan Church, Dudley Port, at which church he was a member and old scholar of the Sunday school. He had always been highly respected by the members and friends, and as one entered the church on this occasion, it was fully apparent that the members were mourning the loss of someone who had been loved. The pulpit and communion tables were fully draped in black, with the Union Jack in front of the pulpit. The floral decorations surrounding the rostrum spoke of the love and esteem of his old friends bestowing their last tribute to his memory.

As the time drew near of the service to commence the church was nearly filled with mourners and friends. The preacher was Mr. W. Morgan, of Burnt Tree. The musical arrangements were carried out most creditably by the conductor (MR. G. Westwood) and organist (Mr. R. Parkes).