If you can add any information about this soldier, please use the comment form at the bottom of this page.
If you would like to be informed of any additions or amendments to The Great War Project, please join our Facebook group.
The Great War Project navigation
Overview A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T W
William Wood
26350, Private, 17th Welsh Regiment
Died of wounds, 17 July 1916, aged 19
Buried at Chocques Military Cemetery, Béthune, France
CWGC registered (Son of William and Mary A Wood, of Norwood, Mostyn Avenue, Llandudno)
SLEEPING TO WAKE ON RESURRECTION GOLDEN MORN
William Wood was born in 1897 at Levenshulme, Lancashire. He was the son of William and Mary Ann Wood (née Hardwick). The 1901 Census records the family living at 65 Stockport Road, Levenshulme; William Wood (senior) was described as a master butcher and four children were recorded: Ethel (7) Norman (6), William (4) and Janet (3). Ten years later, the family lived at “Norwood”, Mostyn Avenue, Craig-y-Don. William Wood (senior) was now described as a butcher’s assistant.
Regrettably, William Wood’s service record has been destroyed. However, Soldiers Died in the Great War states that he was in the 17th (Service) Battalion (1st Glamorgan) of the Welsh Regiment. Confusingly, the Llandudno Roll of Honour gives his regiment as the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. This discrepancy can be explained because William Wood was almost certainly short in stature and not tall enough to join a normal Service Battalion. The Royal Welsh Fusilier’s Bantam Battalion, the 19th, did not form until March 1915 (at Deganwy) and when William volunteered at the end of January 1915, he was posted to the 17th Welsh, a Bantam Battalion which had formed in November 1914 and which was then nearby at Rhos-on-Sea. William’s regimental number was 26350 and aged 17, he was under-aged. The 17th Welsh moved to Prees Heath, Shropshire in July 1915 and Aldershot in September 1915. The battalion left Southampton on 2 June 1916 and disembarked at Le Havre the following day.
Aged 19, William Wood died of wounds on 17 July 1916 and was buried at Chocques Military Cemetery, near Béthune. This cemetery was close to the location of No 1 Casualty Clearing Station which in turn was about 10 miles from Calonne, to the west of Lens which is where the battalion had been in the trenches since 8 July, sustaining some casualties from artillery and mortar fire.
Known memorials:
- Llandudno Roll of Honour
- Llandudno War Memorial
- Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
- Llanrhos Parish War Memorial, All Saints’ Church, Deganwy
Leave a Reply