WOOD, Frederick Arthur

Fred Wood attended Halesowen C of E school and was living in Halesowen when he volunteered for the Worcesters and joined the 10th (Service) Battalion. They went to France in 1915 and endured the harsh winter of 1915-16 in trenches near Festubert. After re-training they were among those battalions selected for the first day of the Somme on the 1st July. After the first waves had made little progress the 10th were held until the 3rd July for the delivery of an assault on the villages of La Boisselle and neighbouring Ovillers. It was a daunting proposition but at heavy cost the German defenders of La Boisselle were cleared and Private Fred Turrall was awarded the Victoria Cross. However, among the many killed on that day were five Halesowen men, including Corporal Fred Wood who is commemorated on the Thiepval, Halesowen and Halesowen C of E school Memorials.