WOOD, Henry G W DSO

Henry Wood was the son of Thomas and Mary Wood of South Norwood, Middlesex and was born at Enfield in November 1888. He was educated at Dulwich College and Peterhouse College, Cambridge, where he joined the University Officers' Training Corps and was granted a commission on the unattached list. In April 1914, having moved to Stourbridge to work for Thomas Webb and Sons at the Dennis Glass Works, he joined the Territorials as a Second Lieutenant in the 7th Worcesters. At that time he was living in Oldswinford Castle. When the war came only five months later, he was mobilised for training and with the rest of his battalion he volunteered for overseas service. They crossed to France on the 31st March 1915. In August he was promoted to Captain and Adjutant of the Battalion. By 1917 he had become a Company Commander and an experienced soldier, who had been Mentioned In Despatches by the Commander in Chief. In November 1917 the Worcesters were ordered to leave the Western Front for Italy. The sudden collapse of the Italian army at the battle of Caporetto in October had opened north western Italy, including Venice, to the advancing Austrian forces. The Worcesters found themselves travelling in one short week from the mud of Flanders to the sun of northern Italy. By the time they reached the front line the danger from the Austrians had halted and the battalion moved to the Asiago plateau in the foothills of the Alps, four thousand feet up and in the sleet and snow of Alpine winter. The Austrian forces attacked unexpectedly on the 15th June. The front line of the 48th Division was driven back and, together with the Gloucesters, the Worcesters were ordered to hold the line. It was a fairly desperate occasion when the counter-attack took place at 7.30 a.m. in the thick woods on the plateau, but the accurate fire of the Worcesters brought complete success. As a result Henry Wood was awarded Membership of the Distinguished Service Order, recorded in the London Gazette of 24 September 1918 after his death. On the 3rd August the Division was ordered to advance against the Austrians. The enemy retaliated with heavy artillery. Only two men of the battalion were killed, but one of these was Captain Henry Wood. He was 29 years of age and buried at Boscon Cemetery (II A 6) and commemorated on the Stourbridge, Oldswinford church and St. John's church Memorials.