Pte 24386 William Wood

• Age: 27
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Cerisy-gailly Mil Cem
  Panel Ref: II.L.11

William Wood was born in Sefton, near Liverpool on 06^th October 1888, the second of three sons and one of eight surviving children born to John and Ruth(nee Hesketh) Wood who were married on the 2nd Sept 1875 at St Mary, Kirkdale.   

On the 1891 Census the family are living at 13 Brickwall Lane, Netherton.

His father John is 39 years old and is a joiner born in Thornton, whilst his mother, Ruth, is 33 years of age and was born in Lydiate, children Maud M. 13 b.Thornton, Edward W. 11 a scholar b.Liverpool, May E. 9 a scholar b.Thornton, Gertrude Ruth 4 a scholar b.Sefton.  

The 1901 Census shows the family are living at “The Green”, Netherton. 

The name is incorrectly transcribed as Woods. William is 12 years of age and is living with his parents and four siblings. His father John is 49 years old and is shown as a general labourer born in Thornton, whilst his mother, Ruth, is 44 years of age and was born in Lydiate. His siblings are shown as Gertrude Ruth aged 14, Alice H. 9, Stanley J. 6 and Edith A. 4. Also present are Maud Robinson aged 23 shown as married sister and her husband James aged 22. 

The 1911 Census shows the family are living at a property described as  Netherton, Blundellsands.

His father John is a 59 year old bricklayer’s labourer. William is a 22 year old farm labourer and his younger brother, Stanley John, 16 is a horseman on a farm. Also present is Edith Annie aged 14. His parents have been married for 35 years and eight of their nine children have survived. 

All three brothers were educated at Sefton Church School, Brickwall Lane and on leaving school Willie worked at Mellors Farm, Netherton Green, where it was said  he enjoyed working with horses.

He enlisted on or about the 06th January 1915, joining the 19th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24386. His two brothers, who also enlisted, had both joined the Scots Guards.

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 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.

Reports show that Willie was a cheerful, jocular young man, unmarried but with a lady friend and in Autumn 1915 during his last leave at home at Pear Tree Cottage, Netherton Green, his mother, already having suffered the loss of two sons, was  highly distressed to see him go. Willie is reported to have said “Don’t turn to see me go, Mum” and from the cottage door sang “When the fields are white with daisies, I’ll be home”.

William crossed to France with his Battalion on the 07^th November 1915 on board the SS Invicta.

He was killed in action on the 01st July 1916 during the attack at Montauban.

19^th Battalion Diary

Zero Hour 7.30am First day of the attack. The Battalion used up entirely in “carrying parties” for the Brigade. Battalion H.Q. in the “Chateau”, Maricourt. Total casualties 01 -04/07/1916: 1 officer wounded, 12 other ranks killed, 53 wounded and 3 missing.

William was one of the other ranks referred to in the Diary.

He now rests at Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery, France.

Gailly was the site of the 39th and 13th Casualty Clearing Stations during the early part of 1917, and of the 41st Stationary Hospital from May 1917 to March 1918. The villages were then captured by the Germans, but were retaken by the Australian Corps in August 1918. Cerisy-Gailly Military Cemetery (originally called the New French Military Cemetery) was begun in February 1917 and used by medical units until March 1918. After the recapture of the village it was used by Australian units. The cemetery was increased after the Armistice when graves were brought in from the battlefields of the Somme. The cemetery now contains 745 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 114 of the burials are unidentified and special memorials commemorate five casualties buried at Maricourt and Ste. Helene whose graves could not be found. The cemetery was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.

His parents placed a notice in the Liverpool Daily Post on 18^th July 1916: 

 “July 1, killed in action, aged 27 years, William (our Bill) (“Pals”), the beloved second son of Mr. and Mrs. Wood, Netherton Green, Aintree.  Loved by all.  Deeply mourned by his Parents and Sisters.”

The Liverpool Echo reported on 20th July 1916

AINTREE FAMILY'S TRIPLE LOSS

"Amid war bereavements that of an Aintree family, Mr and Mrs.J.Wood, of Netherton Green, Aintree, Liverpool, take a melancholy place. Having lost two sons, they have now received news that a third, Private William Wood,of the "Pals," has been killed. A comrade in a letter to his parents says of this soldier: "His death came as a terrible shock to all who knew him, as he was very well liked, and his loss will be keenly felt." 

The family anguish at Bill's loss can only be imagined as his two brothers had already been killed - Edward (“Web”) Webster, Pte 9590 1/Scots Guards, was killed  in action on 11th November 1914 during the First Battle of Ypres and Stanley, Pte 9600 1/Scots Guards, died of his wounds received at Loos on 14th October 1915. 

Edward “Web” is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium and left a wife and two small children. Stanley rests at St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France in grave A12 37.

Soldiers Effects to father John, Pension to mother Ruth, Pear Tree Cottage, Netherton Green.  

All three brothers are commemorated on the following Memorials:

Sefton Church

Sefton Village Memorial situated on Bridges Lane/Sefton Mill Lane

They are also remembered on their parents grave in the church yard at Sefton Church.

William is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance in Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 34.

His mother Ruth died, aged 66, on the 24th January 1924 and his father, John, died aged 76, on the 27th September 1927. 

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