WOODHEAD, Arthur
| Service Number: | 3971 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 August 1915, Holsworthy, New South Wales |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, March 1897 |
| Home Town: | Strathfield, Strathfield, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Head Injuries - Shell, Spoil Bank, Ypres, Belgium, 28 March 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Ridge Wood Military Cemetery, Voormezeele, Belgium Plot 3, Row Y, Grave 1. Details from CWGC website, Ridge Wood Military Cemetery, Dickebusch, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 12 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Holsworthy, New South Wales | |
|---|---|---|
| 30 Dec 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3971, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
| 30 Dec 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3971, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Medic, Sydney | |
| 28 Mar 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 3971, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 3971 awm_unit: 2 Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1918-03-28 | |
| 25 Jul 1918: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, Third Ypres, EAST of YPRES on Oct 7th, 1917. Ptes WOODHEAD and PETTIT sprang out of their trench and standing on the parapet in full view of the enemy Woodhead fired the gun resting it on Pettit's shoulder |
Information on Ridge Wood Military Cemetery
Location Information
Ridge Wood Military cemetery is located 5 Kms south-west of Ieper town centre, on the Slijpstraat, a road leading from the Kemmelseweg (connecting Ieper to Kemmel N331).
From Ieper town centre the Kemmelseweg is reached via the Rijselsestraat, through the Lille Gate (Rijselpoort), and straight on towards Armentieres (N365). 900 metres after the crossroads is the right hand turning onto the Kemmelseweg (made prominent by a railway level crossing).
4 Kms along the Kemmelseweg on the right hand side lies Elzenwalle Military Cemetery, which marks the junction with Slijpstraat. Ridge Wood Military Cemetery lies 1 Km along the Slijpstraat, after a small staggered crossroads.
Historical Information
Ridge Wood was the name given to a wood standing on high ground between the Kemmel road and Dickebusch Lake. The cemetery lies in a hollow on the western side of the ridge and the position was chosen for a front line cemetery as early as May 1915. The first graves were from the 2nd Royal Irish Rifles and similar groups were made by the 18th, 19th, 20th and 21st Canadian Battalions and the 9th Durham Light Infantry at the times when they occupied this sector. The German advance in the spring of 1918 pushed the front line back on to the ridge, and it was not till July that the wood was finally cleared by the 6th and 33rd Divisions. There are few burials from these last battles in the cemetery and the graves of some French divisions, which fought alongside Commonwealth forces in April and May, were removed to other burial grounds.
The cemetery contains 619 Commonwealth burials of the First World War. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/51100/RIDGE%20WOOD%20MILITARY%20CEMETERY
Submitted 16 August 2015 by Scott Ide
Biography contributed by Evan Evans
From Peter Stevenson
We Remember Today - 3971 Private Arthur Woodhead DCM, 12th Reinforcements, 2nd Battalion, of Enfield, NSW (originally of Sheffield, England), aged 19 years.
Pte Woodhead enlisted on 12 August 1915 and embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Medic on 30 December 1915. He saw service at the Western Front and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for gallantry east of Ypres, in October 1917.
His commanding officer put forward the recommendation which read: "During the enemy counter attack on our position EAST of YPRES on Oct 7th these two men were Nos 1 & 2 of a Lewis gun team with a limited field of fire. The enemy's advancing infantry had reached to within 50 yards of our line when Ptes WOODHEAD and PETTIT sprang out of their trench and standing on the parapet in full view of the enemy Woodhead fired the gun resting it on Pettit's shoulder and continued to do so until the remnants of the attacking lines returned and they were ordered back into the trench...".
Pte Woodhead was killed in action on on 28 March 1918 and is buried at the Ridge Wood Military Cemetery in Belgium.
Biography
When notified that their son, Private Arthur Woodhead had been killed in action, his parents made appraoaches to have his personal effects returned to them. His effects were consigned to S.S. BARUNGA to be returned to Australia but were lost at sea when the BARUNGA was sunk by enemy action.
"...3971 Private Arthur Woodhead, 12th Reinforcements, 2nd Battalion, of Enfield, NSW (originally of Sheffield, England), aged 19 years. Pte Woodhead enlisted on 12 August 1915 and embarked from Sydney aboard HMAT Medic on 30 December 1915. He saw service at the Western Front and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) for gallantry east of Ypres, in October 1917. His commanding officer put forward the recommendation which read: "During the enemy counter attack on our position EAST of YPRES on Oct 7th these two men were Nos 1 & 2 of a Lewis gun team with a limited field of fire. The enemy's advancing infantry had reached to within 50 yards of our line when Ptes WOODHEAD and PETTIT sprang out of their trench and standing on the parapet in full view of the enemy Woodhead fired the gun resting it on Pettit's shoulder and continued to do so until the remnants of the attacking lines returned and they were ordered back into the trench...". Pte Woodhead was killed in action on on 28 March 1918 and is buried at the Ridge Wood Military Cemetery in Belgium." - SOURCE (www.awm.gov.au)
"WOODHEAD.- Killed in action in France, March 28 1918, Lce.-Cpl. Arthur Woodhead, D.C.M., aged 22 year, dearly-loved son and brother of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Woodhead and family, of Glenville, Heydon-street, Enfield.
He died for freedom's sake.
WOODHEAD.- Killed in action in France, March 28 1918, Lce.-Cpl. Arthur Woodhead, D.C.M., beloved grandson of Mrs. M. Cooper, Rose street, Enfield.
His duty nobly done.
WOODHEAD.- Killed in action in France, March 28, 1918, Lce.-Cpl. Arthur Woodhead, D.C.M., beloved nephew and cousin of Mr and Mrs W Woodhead and family of Burwood.
WOODHEAD.- Killed in action, March 28, 1918, Lce.-Cpl. Arthur Woodhead, D.C.M., nephew and cousin of Mr. and Mrs. Madson and family, Rose-street, Enfield.
WOODHEAD.- In loving memory of our dear nephew Lce.-Cpl. Arthur Woodhead, D.C.M., who fell in action in France, March 28, 1918.
Greater love hath no man than this - that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Inserted by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Bond, Police Station, Comboyne.
WOODHEAD.- Killed in action, March 28, 1918, Lance-corporal Arthur Woodhead, D.C.M., nephew of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Cooper, Coventry-road Strathfield.
In answer to his country's call,
He gave his best, his life, his all." - from the Sydney Morning Herald 20 Apr 1918 (nla.gov.au)
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