Pte 17747 Edward Henry Wood

• Age: 19
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Sunday 30th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Thiepval Memorial
  Panel Ref: P&F1D8B &8 C.

Edward Henry Wood was born in Anfield, Liverpool on the 07th September 1896, the son of Edward and Elizabeth Emma Wood (née Speake) who were married around August 1885 at St Johns Church, Waterloo. He was baptised on the 15th February 1897 at St Mary’s Church, Kirkdale. 

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 46, Blessington Road, Liverpool. His father Edward is aged 43, employed as a railway carts foreman, and his mother, Elizabeth Emma, is aged 42 with no occupation listed. They have four children at the time of the Census being taken, William aged 14 is an office boy, Hannah Lillian aged 11, Henrietta aged 7, and Edward Henry aged 4.

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 67 Herschell Street, Everton, Liverpool. His father Edward is aged 53, born 1858 in Liverpool and whose occupation is recorded as a railway cartage foreman, and his mother, Elizabeth Emma, is aged 51, born 1860 in Shropshire. They have been married for twenty five years and have had four children all of whom were born in Liverpool. Hannah Lillian aged 21, born 1890 occupation school teacher assistant with the local council, Henrietta aged 17, born 1894 is a typist, Edward Henry aged 14, born 1897 is at school and Austin aged 8, born 1903. They also have their widowed mother in law Ann Speake aged 82, born 1829 in Shropshire also at the address.   

Edward Henry enlisted at St George's Hall in Liverpool on 03rd September 1914 joining the 19th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment as Private No 17747. He gave his age as nineteen years and thirty days, and his occupation as a clerk. He was described as being five feet six inches tall, weighed 114lbs, 35” chest, had a fresh complexion, hazel coloured eyes and light brown hair. He stated his religion as Church of England and next of kin was his father, of 23 Ince Avenue. (It would appear Edward Henry lied about his age on enlistment, he was 4 days shy of his 18th birthday).  

Formed on 07^th September 1914 the 19^th Battalion trained locally at Sefton Park and remained living at home or in rented accommodation until November 1914. They then moved to the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. on 22nd March 1915 at Knowsley, he was charged with Irregular conduct on night operations.- and was confined to barracks for three days. On 30th April 1915 the 19th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. He arrived in France on 07^th November 1915.

He was killed in action on the 30^th July 1916, aged 19, at the village of Guillemont, France, during the Somme Offensive. 

19^th Battalion Diary 30^th July 1916

MALTZ HORN FARM

BATTLE begun. ZERO hour 4:45 am. The Battalion reached its objective, but suffered heavy losses, and had to evacuate its position owing to no reinforcements.

Everard Wyrall gives details of the attack in his book The History of The King’s Regiment; 

"The 2nd Attack on Guillemont- 29th July 1916 the 89th Brigade the 20th King's were to attack on the right and the 19th on the left. During the evening of the 29th the night was dark and foggy when the Battalions moved off and the 19th with Lt Col G Rollo commanding, when passing the South east of the Briqueterie they were heavily shelled first with H E and then with a new kind of asphyxiating Gas shell which had curious results, at first it had no nasty effect but about 8 hrs later men began to fall sick with violent headaches and pains in the stomach. All ranks had to wear gas masks which in the darkness and mist made the going terribly difficult. It was indeed wonderful that they were able to reach their Assembly point at all. But they did and by 2.45 a.m. on the 30th July 1916 the Btn was assembled having suffered about 30 Casualties on the way up ready for the Zero hour at 4.45 a.m.

It is known that the two left Companies of the 19th under Capt. Dodd and Capt. Nicholson advanced in touch with the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers on their left although they suffered many casualties from Machine gun Fire did not encounter many Germans and reached their final objective about the time allocated, beginning at once to dig in south of the orchard on the South east corner of Guillemont.  

On the left of the 19th the Scots Fusiliers most gallantly forced their way through Guillemont to the eastern side of the village but were soon overwhelmed by the enemy and few returned. 

At 8 a.m. finding that the village was not held the two left Companies of the 19th received no word from the rear or either flank believed themselves to be totally isolated so were forced to fall back and dig in, their position being untenable.

At midday the effective fighting strength of the 19th Btn was just 7 Officers and 43 other ranks" 

When darkness fell on the battlefield the 30^th Division held a line from the railway on the eastern side of Trones Wood , southwards and including Arrow Head Copse, to east of Maltz Horn Farm. On this line the division was relieved by the 55^th Division during the early hours of the 31^st July.

Casualties in the 19^th Battalion were 11 Officers and 435 Other Ranks 

The events of 30^th July 1916 were regarded at the time as Liverpool’s blackest day. There follows an extract from The History of the 89^th Brigade written by Brigadier General Ferdinand Stanley which gives an indication of the events of the day.

Guillemont

Well the hour to advance came, and of all bad luck in the world it was a thick fog; so thick that you couldn’t see more than about ten yards. It was next to impossible to delay the attack – it was much too big an operation- so forward they had to go. It will give some idea when I say that on one flank we had to go 1,750 yards over big rolling country. Everyone knows what it is like to cross enclosed country which you know really well in a fog and how easy it is to lose your way. Therefore, imagine these rolling hills, with no landmarks and absolutely unknown to anyone. Is it surprising that people lost their way and lost touch with those next to them? As a matter of fact, it was wonderful the way in which many men found their way right to the place we wanted to get to. But as a connected attack it was impossible.

The fog was intense it was practically impossible to keep direction and parties got split up. Owing to the heavy shelling all the Bosches had left their main trenches and were lying out in the open with snipers and machine guns in shell holes, so of course our fellows were the most easy prey.

It is so awfully sad now going about and finding so many splendid fellows gone.

He was initially reported as Missing in the Liverpool Daily Post on Thursday 31 August 1916; 

Edward Henry has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme.

The Thiepval Memorial, the Memorial to the Missing of the Somme, bears the names of more than 72,000 officers and men of the United Kingdom and South African forces who died in the Somme sector before 20 March 1918 and have no known grave. Over 90% of those commemorated died between July and November 1916. 

On 01st August 1932 the Prince of Wales and the President of France inaugurated the Thiepval Memorial in Picardy. The inscription reads: “Here are recorded the names of officers and men of the British Armies who fell on the Somme battlefields between July 1915 and March 1918 but to whom the fortune of war denied the known and honoured burial given to their comrades in death.”

Soldiers Effects , outstanding Army pay of £3 5s 8d, and a War Gratuity of £8 10s was sent to his father Edward. His mother Elizabeth Emma received a pension of 8/- p.w.

He was remembered by his family, on the second anniversary of his loss in the Liverpool Evening Express on Tuesday 30 July 1918; 

In 1927 the family moved to 5 Aspley Road, West Derby. His father died, aged 77, in 1935. 

On the 1939 Register his mother, dob 12th March 1859, is living with her widowed daughter Henrietta Thomson. Elizabeth Emma died aged 87 in 1947. 

Harry is commemorated in Liverpool’s Hall of Remembrance, Panel 32 Left 

We currently have no further information on Edward Henry Wood, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.