Dear Family and Friends of Charlie Henry Wood; I am retired from the police now and relocated to Cyprus, but as exciting as that new adventure may seem I realised I carried so much sadness from those humbling years. There is a huge difference between the sadness I saw and the grief that you sadly know. I witnessed so much honour for the fallen, that many people did not see and wanted to write my own tribute in memory to those men and women who were shown so much respect and rightly so. I started writing and could not stop and found that I now have completed a book as my own personal tribute in memory of our great nations fallen. It would not be possible to tell the full story; the day each of the 345 who were killed came home. My hope is that those who read the words that I have written will understand that the same respects were shown the day their loved one came home.. I would like to tell each Mother, Father, Husband, Partner, Wife, Brother and Sister, Son or Daughter some that were not even born, along with extended family and friends that your loved one came home a true British hero. Please allow me to share what I witnessed on the 6th January 2011 the day Warrant officer 2, Sergeant Major Charlie Wood, 23 Pioneer Regiment, The Royal Logistic Corps, came home. What many people who grieved that day and witnessed in Wotton Bassett was only a fraction of what we saw unfold before our eyes; along that 46 mile route. From leaving RAF Lyneham people would stand at the main gate raise their arms in salute and from there, we slowly escorted the fallen hero as people lined the street. The Outriders would be in front clearing our route through, with all our blue flashing lights activated; we wanted people to know that in our cortege was an outstanding soldier who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving the Crown. A Hero at Christmas was a tabloid heading that I read, Warrant Officer Charlie Henry Wood; deserved to be recognised, as we made our methodical progress up the Wiltshire roads. Cars heading in our direction would slow down, activate their hazard lights, some got out and bowed their heads and the humbling respects continued throughout the 5 mile route to Wootton Bassett. As we entered the small market town that by now the whole country knew, we stopped the cortege outside the St Bartholomew Church, where the tenor bell tolled. The tolling of the tenor bell happened by fate, but for many besides letting the community know the cortege had arrived; was the ambience it created of a solemn moment, enhancing the dignity honour and respect. We the police escort with the outriders at my front made our way to the bottom end of the street, a short drive but one I felt as if we were intruding by driving on what felt like sacred ground, in particular passing the raw sadness I saw in so many eyes. It really was challenging to distance ourselves from those emotions we saw and had seen so many times before; families clutching flowers, all looking down towards the conductor as he paged towards the war memorial. Almost in unison the tenor bell tolled as the conductor’s heels hit the floor, making his way with a swagger and panache, leading the Teesside hero with so much grace. Everything seemed in slow motion almost as if time had stood so still; the quietness is eerie friends offer comfort to a family in preparation, for a grief many had not experienced before. With the tipping of his hat the conductor would turn a symbolic action in saluting the fallen; the cortege would close up and then come to a halt. There Charlie would remain at a brief resting place adjacent to the war memorial, where those grieving all stood. Standards were lowered and the parade marshal of the Royal British Legion calls his members to the salute The silence was broken as the raw emotions escaped; but amongst that deep sadness was so much respect. One by one they approached their man; a heartbroken family in numbness on a planet they did not understand. A flower was laid; a private word or prayer was said where we 200m way watch helplessly in their pain. It was a moment those present would never forget, so many people they did not know, standing alongside those grieving, to show they care. Then with a further tipping of his hat and the bow of his head the conductor lead the cortege in our direction down the road. Once we were again reunited the escort and cortege as one, we slowly made our way out of this deeply saddened town, numb with the scenes of grief that we had seen. Slowly methodically again we turned our wheels as we left the high street and made progress towards the M4. This was a precise operation as we had another police patrol car slowing traffic down already on the motorway, this created a sterile bubble with a rolling barrier, leaving easterly bound M4 completely empty as we entered on junction 16, onto lane one. I lead the cortege onto the motorway, the outrider’s moved across to lane two placing their bikes adjacent to the hearse carrying the Warrant Officer we escorted that day. At the rear of the cortege was another police patrol car and a further two hundred meters was the rolling barrier holding the traffic back. It was almost like a ‘Guard of Honour’ as we cruised along that major road at 50 miles per hour. People stood on the over bridges and in respect bowed their heads; they could never mistake us, as every blue light flashed, when we brought your hero home. Coming off the M4 we made our way to Gablecross where Thames Valley Police took over the escort of the cortege for the rest of the route. Many of you will not know Gablecross it is a big Police Station and lined up outside was those on duty that day, shoulder to Shoulder with Standards paraded by the military organisations and Royal British legion, maybe a 100 or more with the Senior police Officer taken the salute. Again traffic was stopped as we handed the cortege over, we slipped off the road and Thames Valley Police took command of this valued man that had proudly served our Crown. For the next 26 miles he was in good hands as our neighbours continued along this most respectful route, their outriders leading from the front. But the respects did not stop there; a further four vigil points were always manned with hundreds more stood so proud, those wearing berets would always salute. Many cars would stop on the busy A420 where again drivers would get out of their vehicle and bow their heads. Have no doubt in your mind your Husband Your Son, your Brother and to many I met on the day your amazing friend was recognised, with so much respects along that whole route. People stood out in the rain right up to the final turn that took the cortege into the John Radcliffe Hospital. Yes that final turn was an extraordinary scene as Standards were lowered the length of the street. This 46 mile journey often took two hours or more, where ever even one person stood, the cortege was slowed to show mutual respect, the nation mourned your tragic loss. I witnessed so much respect during these four years I feel it is important to share with those who lost a loved one how much the country cared. Four years on we care just as much now. I hope that from the words I have written gave you some comfort knowing just how much respects were shown. I also have the Royal Marines Association repatriation report which reiterates what I have written Former PC 2185 Jarra Brown God bless you all and may Charlie Henry Wood hear my words from what I was told you were a real top man.
Posted on: Sat, 03 Jan 2015 13:24:22 +0000
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