Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Stuart was the youngest son born in Quorn, a railway town in the Flinders Ranges, on the 29th February 1920. The family moved to live at Bridgewater in the Adelaide Hills. There, Stuart quickly became part of the close-knit local community, including the Radbone and Pratt families, with whom he made lifelong friends. When a young local, Dorothy Trenouth accepted a position as governess at Beltana in the Flinders Ranges, the Wood family organised a farewell for her with Stuart making a farewell speech and presentation of a handbag on behalf of those present. Typical of those times, games, competitions and singing were enjoyed before supper was served and toasts proposed to the King and Dorothy. Good friend, Geoff Radbone was also one of the guests.
Both the Wood and Radbone families were also involved in the Methodist Church and attended the Sunday School picnics held at Long Gully, with Stuart and two of the Radbone boys winning their races in respective age groups.
Post school Stuart worked as a cabinet maker, however with the outbreak of WWII and aged 20 Stuart and 22-year-old Geoff Radbone both enlisted on the 29th June, 1940 becoming SX7213 and SX7139 respectively. The following week, their friend Norman Pratt also enlisted as SX8199 and all three were allocated to the newly formed 2/48th Battalion. Their early days were spent in the cold of the Pavilions, now part of the Royal Adelaide Showgrounds before ironically, the young men returned to the Adelaide Hills for preliminary training at Woodside. The usually healthy Stuart contracted a severe throat condition but was able to re-join his battalion. During their brief time of pre-embarkation leave Stuart and Geoff returned home to a crowded Bridgewater as the community gathered to farewell five of their young men. These included Tom Hincks SX7975, Royal Scott SX8034, Stuart Wood and Geoff Radbone, all from the 2/48th Battalion. Each was presented with a shaving kit from the residents and from the ladies of the Comforts fund, a parcel of woollen comforts. The young men responded with their thanks before a variety of items were presented, followed by a community supper and the singing of "Auld Lang Syne."
Stuart and his fellow members of the 2/48th Battalion then embarked on the Stratheden for the Middle East, on the 7th November 1940. Unfortunately, soon after embarkation, Stuart contracted pneumonia, however recovered on the voyage over. His battalion arrived on the 19th December 1940 where the new soldiers completed a few months training in Cyrenaica. During those early days, the men settled into camps, but besides regular army duties was the need to quickly adapt to the light-fingered locals who saw any provisions or equipment as ‘available’. The battalion was soon involved in intense conflicts where the reputation for being the most highly decorated but decimated battalion was earned. By April ’41 the 2/48th was subjected to heavy German shelling, forcing the men to shelter in the pits they had dug.
In August, ’42, Stuart’s parents received the unwanted news that he had been wounded in action, with the local Courier reporting that ‘Mr. and Mrs. Norman Wood have been notified that their youngest son, Pte. Stuart D. Wood, was wounded in action in Egypt on July 18th. He went overseas in November 1940, and was for several months at Tobruk.’ Wallace Davis, also from Stuart’s battalion was another who had been wounded in the same battle which had claimed three fellow soldiers’ lives. Stuart spent three weeks in hospital recovering before he was able to re-join his unit.
The conditions under which he was wounded were part of the constant, bitter fighting at Tel el Eisa, where strategic points continued to change hands. On the 16th July the 2/48th had control of East 24 but the shelling then turned to their A Company. John Glenn in Tobruk to Tarakan describes the great concentrations of sand which blotted out the whole company. ‘Towards dusk the next day nine carriers commanded by Roger Jacka, charged across the railway line and raced to the Tel el Eisa ridge. They churned up thick clouds of dust as they ploughed among the German posts, shooting up the whole area. It was a daring charge, right into the fire of anti-tank guns and machine guns. Only the elements of surprise and speed enabled it to come off. The enemy suffered heavy casualties from our fire. One of our men was slightly wounded during the fighting and then, as the carriers swung down the slopes on the way home and entered the last stretch, three carriers ploughed into our own minefield and were blown up, killing Sergeant Lester Johnson and Corporal J.K. Stone. Corporal Stopp was wounded.’
Mark Johnston in his recently published book Derrick VC in his own words gives Derrick’s diary entry for the 17th July. ‘Shelling is still our major source of annoyance & would certainly like to get the crews responsible. Our carriers were operating on our right front last night but do not know their intentions or objectives. They were to return past A Coys front and in on the left of C Coy. All lost direction and resulted in one being destroyed on C Coys mine field with Sgt Johnson killed another was stopped on my sections mine flied with Cpl Stopp receiving some minor wounds and shock, driver Stone was also killed at C. Coy.’
By January ’43 Stuart had been promoted to the rank of Corporal, just prior to his battalion returning to Australia via Melbourne. Finally, the remnants of the 2/48th returned to Adelaide in March ’43. The local News proudly announced ‘With 2½ years of history-making fighting behind it, the 9th Division A.I.F. received a warm welcome on its return to Australia. One of its South Australian battalions has won three Victoria Crosses and 60 other decorations and awards-more than any other A.I.F. unit.’
Following brief leave, Stuart and his battalion headed for training in Queensland before then being sent to New Guinea and a very different war against a totally different enemy and terrain. Just two months after arriving in Milne Bay in August ‘43 Stuart contracted dysentery then severe dyspepsia, causing him to have repeated treatment from the field ambulance. Ill health, including malaria followed before Stuart returned to Australia via Brisbane. Finally, Corporals Stuart Wood and his fellow enlistee Geoff Radbone, were welcomed home on leave in January ’45 before again returning to New Guinea.
With peace finally declared, Stuart was discharged in March ’45 with the pleasant task of acting as best man for his friend Corporal Norman Pratt, who had been discharged in July and married Valese Willshire in May the following year. Stuart’s wedding followed in ‘47 when he and Mary Dorothy King married in the Bridgewater Methodist Church in June with his brother Norman as best man. Geoff Radbone’s mother played the organ during the ceremony. The local Courier observed ‘It is interesting to note that the friends of the bridegroom taking part all went through the North African campaign together.’ Those friends, particularly from the 2/48th battalion had survived a war and shared so much together.
Stuart’s father, Gerald Norman was able to share almost ten years with his son before he died in January ‘55 and is buried in the West Terrace cemetery. Aged 62, Stuart died on the 12th December, 1983.
Researched and written by Kaye Lee, daughter of Bryan Holmes SX8133, 2/48th Battalion.