Born 1889 at South Woodford, the fifth son of Charles (Road Foreman for the Local Board) and Elizabeth Wood. 1891: With his family at 1 Clire Villas, Carnarvon Road, South Woodford. 1901: With his family at 1 Horn Lane, Woodford Green. He later emigrated to Canada and enlisted at Valcartier Quebec on 22nd September 1914, giving his occupation as a Harness Maker.
On 8th October 1915 the Battalion took over trenches C1-C4, with HQ at St Quentin Cabaret, near Wulverghem (now Wulvergem) which is near Messines (now Mesen) in Belgium. On 13th October 1915 a “demonstration action” bombarded German positions and feigned an attack using smoke bombs. However, the German artillery response killed 16 and wounded approximately 26, with the 1st Battalion trenches suffering considerable damage. One of those incoming shells burst in front of the trench fracturing Gordon Wood’s skull. Removed to 3 British Red Cross Hospital at Abbeville, he failed to regain consciousness and died from wounds on 29th August 1915.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Principal Sources:
Ancestry.com
Archives Canada
1st Battalion War Diary