WOOD, Alfred Arthur
| Service Number: | 1346 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 February 1915, Liverpool, NSW |
| Last Rank: | Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | 19th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia, 1894 |
| Home Town: | Liverpool, Fairfield, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Liverpool State School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Railway carriage builder, carpenter |
| Died: | Died of wounds, Stourbridge General Hospital, United Kingdom, 14 December 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Stourbridge Cemetery Row C, Grave 326, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Bathurst War Memorial Carillon, Granville War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 19 Feb 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1346, 19th Infantry Battalion, Liverpool, NSW | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 May 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Sergeant, 19th Infantry Battalion | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1346, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '13' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Ceramic embarkation_ship_number: A40 public_note: '' | |
| 25 Jun 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1346, 19th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Ceramic, Melbourne D Company | |
| 2 Sep 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1346, 19th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 20 Sep 1916: | Promoted AIF WW1, Company Sergeant Major, 19th Infantry Battalion, Temporary until 13.11.1916 | |
| 26 Sep 1916: | Honoured Distinguished Conduct Medal, For conspicuous and consistent gallantry and devotion to duty. On two occasions he extinguished fire in bomb stores at great personal risk and under heavy shell fire Commonwealth Gazette No. 184 | |
| 27 Oct 1916: | Honoured Military Medal, At Gallipoli, early in Sept, 1915 when in charge of a post only 15 years from enemy trenches he kept enemy bombers from interfering with the work of consolidation of trench Commonwealth Gazette no. 62 | |
| 14 Nov 1916: | Wounded AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1346, 19th Infantry Battalion, Western Front | |
| 14 Dec 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Sergeant, 1346, 19th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1346 awm_unit: 19 Battalion awm_rank: Sergeant awm_died_date: 1916-12-14 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Elizabeth Allen
Alfred Arthur WOOD was born in Bathurst, NSW in 1894
His parents were George Walter WOOD & Sarah Ann CHILVERS
He was serving in the 43rd Werriwa Infantry before he enlisted in Liverpool on 19th February, 1915 as a Private and was promoted to Sergeant on 1st May, 1915 - he then embarked with the 19th Infantry Battalion, D Company from Sydney on the HMAT Ceramic on 25th June, 1915
He was wounded at Gallipoli on 2nd September, 1915
He was promoted to Company Sergeant Major temporarily on 20th September, 1916 until 13th November, 1916 - the following day he reverted back to Sergeant and was also wounded again in France at the Western Front
Alfred died from his wounds on 14th December, 1916 and is buried in Stourbridge Cemetery in England (Row C, Grave no 326)
His brother, Hubert John WOOD (SN 2278) also served in WW1 and returned to Australia in 1919 - he was awarded the Military Medal
Awards & Medals:
Distinguished Conduct Medal & Military Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal & Victory Medal
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 14th December…… Alfred Arthur Wood was born at Bathurst, New South Wales on 29th October, 1894.
He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 19th February, 1915 as a 20 year old, single, Carpenter from Marion Street, Auburn, Sydney, NSW.
On 1st May, 1915 Private Wood was promoted to Sergeant with “D” Company, 19th Battalion.
Private (as listed on Embarkation Roll) Alfred Arthur Wood, Service number 1346, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Ceramic (A40) on 25th June, 1915 with the 5th Infantry Brigade, 19th Infantry Battalion “D” Company.
He proceeded to join M. E. F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at Gallipoli on 16th August, 1915.
On 2nd September, 1915 Sergeant Alfred Arthur Wood was wounded at Gallipoli Peninsula. He was admitted to 16th Casualty Clearing Station on 3rd September, 1915 with shrapnel wound/s to wrist. He was transferred on Hospital Ship Nile on 8th September, 1915 to Mudros & admitted to Hospital at Malta. Sergeant Wood embarked from Malta on 15th November, 1915 as he was classed as fit for Active Service.
Sergeant Alfred Arthur Wood returned to duty with 19th Battalion at Tel-el-Kebir on 8th January, 1916.
He proceeded from Alexandria on 20th March, 1916 to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 27th March, 1916.
On 5th April, 1916 Sergeant Wood was written up at Boeseghen: “Conduct to the prejudice of good order & military discipline in that when out of camp he was improperly dressed.” Sergeant Wood was reprimanded.
Sergeant Alfred Arthur Wood was recommended for the Military Medal on 18th June, 1916 by C. O. 19th Battalion: “At Gallipoli, early in September, 1915, when in charge of a post only 15 yards from enemy trenches he kept enemy bombers from interfering with the work of consolidation of trench.”
He was awarded the Military Medal. (London Gazette – 27 October 1916 - page 10488) & (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette – 17 April 1917 – page 920)
Sergeant Alfred Wood, 1346, 19th Battalion was recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal on 26th & 28th August, 1916 by G. O.C., 5th Australian Infantry Brigade: “For his devotion to duty at all times both at GALLIPOLI and in FRANCE, and particularly for his coolness and presence of mind on 25th August, 1916 at POZIERES, France, when he, at great personal risk extinguished a fire in a bomb store and by his promptitude saved many lives as well as large quantities of stores.
At about 4.35 pm on 25th August 1916, the enemy heavily shelled the 5th Aust. Infantry Brigade and 19th Battalion Dumps in SUNKEN ROAD, S.E. of POZIERES, and set on fire a stack of boxes containing detonated Mills Bombs in the former dump. Sergeant WOOD with great promptitude and presence of mind at once rushed to the spot with a shovel and threw earth over the flames until they were extinguished. This took him at least 5 minutes, the whole of which time he was exposed to hostile shell fire, several shells falling close around him. It is owing to the courage and presence of mind of this N.C.O. that casualties and damage to stores were avoided as there was a considerable number of men around the Dump at the time, and it contained large quantities of R.R. material, 8.A.A. and Bombs. Sergeant WOOD has at all times both at GALLIPOLI and in FRANCE performed his duties with untiring energy and an apparent disregard for his own safety.”
He was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal “for conspicuous and consistent gallantry & devotion to duty. On two occasions he extinguished fires in bomb stores at great personal risk & under heavy shell fire.” (London Gazette – 26 September 1916 - page 9447) & (Commonwealth of Australia Gazette – 14 December 1916 – page 3389)
From 20th September, 1916 Sergeant Wood was to be Temporary Company Sergeant Major.
Temporary Sergeant Major Alfred Arthur Wood was wounded in action in France on 14th November, 1916. He reverted to the rank of Sergeant on being evacuated & was admitted to 38th Casualty Clearing Station on 15th November, 1916 with G.S.W. (gunshot wound/s) to left shoulder & right leg. Sergeant Wood was transferred to Ambulance Train then admitted to No. 1 Australian General Hospital at Rouen, France on 16th November, 1916. He embarked for England from Havre on 20th November, 1916 on Hospital Ship Formosa.
He was admitted to 1st Southern General Hospital, England on 21st November, 1916 with G.S.W. to Arm & Right Leg.
Sergeant Alfred Arthur Wood died at 8.50 pm (as per notification to A.I.F. Records, London, however the Morning State of Sick – form A.27 recorded the time as 8.40 pm) on 14th December, 1916 at 1st Southern General Hospital, Stourbridge, England from wounds received in action in France – shrapnel wounds to left shoulder & right leg. Cause of death as listed by Registrar & Assistant Administrator of 1st Southern General Hospital, Stourbridge was “Wounds of knee & shoulder. Haemorrhoea.”
He was buried in Stourbridge Cemetery, Stourbridge, West Midlands, England where 12 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/stourbridge.html
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
Click images to start slideshow.