Day 919. Hull Pals Memorial Post. PRIVATE JAMES WOOD 30541. Born in Colchester in 1890, James was one of three children to Frances Wood. James was living at 7 Trooper Terrace, Trooper Lane, Halifax when war came. He enlisted in December 1915 just before the dreaded Conscription Bill went to parliament, but was not called up until 22nd October 1917 when he joined the West Riding Regiment as 32966. He had married Lily Bottomley on 5th January 1916 and whether his new marital status slowed down the date of his call-up I dont know, but the army preferred to take single men first. By October 1917 though manpower was in short supply. Costly campaigns on the Somme and at Arras and Ypres had depleted the reserves of available men and the call went out. James was rushed through training and sent straight out to Flanders. He arrived on 31st March 1918 and was transferred to the 11th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment. The German Spring Offensive was in full swing and the British were in retreat. Jamess first taste of the war was when the Pals were sent to plug a hole in the line and walked into the full force of the German Army. He was killed in action on 12th April 1918 and his body was never recovered; his name is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial; he was 28 years old and had been a soldier for less than two weeks.
Posted on: Sun, 07 Sep 2014 19:32:13 +0000
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