Wood family 5 brothers died

[nhclark]

As someone who spent quite a bit of time on this one, I'd appreciate knowing what the outcome is at this stage.

Have we been able to establish that there were, indeed, five Wood brothers who died in the War, and when they died and where they are buried or commemmorated?

Given that Charlotte Susan Wood was the stepmother/mother of the brothers, and known as "Winnipeg's War Mother", met the uncrowned Edward VIII as such, and was later awarded a medal, can our Canadian forum friends come in on this one? Surely if the whole thing can be verified, this verification will be available somewhere in Canadian archives, such as newspapers etc.?

Thank you,

Noel

[Jim Clay]

Noel

I've posted a new thread asking for help from Canadian Pals. We'll see what comes up.

Jim

[grantowi]

Heres the family in 1901 census;

WOOD, Frederick L Head Married M 45 1856 Bricklayer Chatham Kent

WOOD, Charlott Wife Married F 41 1860 Chatham Kent

WOOD, William Son Single M 16 1885 Bricklayer Chatham Kent

FULLMAN, Alfred Son Single M 13 1888 Chatham Kent VIEW

WOOD, Ellen Daughter Single F 11 1890 East Greenwich London

WOOD, Frederick Son Single M 10 1891 Chatham Kent

WOOD, John Son Single M 8 1893 Strood Kent

WOOD, Burt Son Single M 6 1895 West Greenwich London

WOOD, Harry Son Single M 4 1897 West Greenwich London

WOOD, Percy Son Single M 1 1900 Bexley Heath Kent

Living at 4, Belvedere Beadonwell Hill Queens Road, Erith, Belvedere

Good luck with it, unless some "local knowledge" turns up, I think it's not gonna be solved :-(

Grant

[Canadawwi]

I cannot add anything concrete, but I do have something to share.

Last year I acquired an original photo of Mrs. Wood taken by one of the soldiers who attended the Vimy Memorial unveiling in 1936. It was part of a packet of photos taken by George and Peter Muir during this trip. I believe the Muirs were veterans from Toronto.

Here is a link to the photo: Mrs. Wood at Vimy Memorial Unveiling 1936

If you go through the rest of the album I posted on my website, you can learn more about this set of photographs.

- Marika

[nhclark]

I thought that I would keep this thread alive.

The web-site that I quoted before - http://www.geocities.com/charlotte_susan_wood/cs03005.htm - has a section on each of the brothers.

The section on Louis Robert Wood claims that Louis, as Petty Officer (Stoker), no. 161053, Robert Wood, died when HMS Hogue was sunk on 22nd September 1914.

I have downloaded the service record of Robert Wood, 161053, from The National Archives. It clearly states that he was born on 17th March 1872, in Bermondsey, that he was a baker by trade, and joined the Navy on 15th June 1891. He was indeed lost when the Hogue was torpedoed.

Lewis(Louis) Robert Wood was born in 1881 in Exeter. He clearly was not Robert Wood from Bermondsey.

This part of the Wood family story as related on the web-site quoted above is therefore quite untrue.

Unfortunately the web-site does not have an e-mail contact.

Noel

[linge]

I think this means that 3 of those identified as the five "lost sons" on the website (Lewis Robert "Robert", Joseph James "Joseph" and Harry) are now disproved.

Leaving Peter Percy Wood who is correctly identified and Frederick Francis Wood who has been identified as Private, G/10546, Francis Wood, 11th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment killed in action on 7th October 1916 and who is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, I presume this "identification" is made on the basis that SDGW gives the soldiers Place of Birth as Chatham. Unfortunately unless the papers have survived there is no further evidence available to confirm the identification. Although a Death Certificate may give age at death.

As per my previous post the Canadian immigration records showed Charlotte and her four youngest sons travelled to Canada to join her husband a bricklayer living in Strathcona, Alberta on 8th September, 1911.

I have tried to locate Frederick Wood on the 1911 Canadian Census this is the only person I could find who is a possibility although there are discrepancies:

1911 Census Strathcona City, Alberta (taken 20th June 1911)

Fred Wood, Head, Married, Mar 1855, 56, England, 1911, Bricklayer

John Wood, Son, Single, Oct 1881, 29, England, 1904, Bricklayer

William Wood, Son, Single, Sept 1884, 26, England, 1907, Bricklayer

The main discrepancy being who is John? - although his birth details are similar to Lewis'.

I have tried to find the above on immigration records for the years the say that they entered Canada but as they all travelled independently and the names are not uncommon I have been unable to positively identify them.

As an aside I did find an entry on 27th August 1931 at Quebec travelling on the Duchess of Richmond from Liverpool for Charlotte Susan Wood aged 70 Canadian citizen returning address: 812, Burnell Street, Winnipeg. She states she had lived in Canada between 1910 and 1931. Presumably this was her "1928" return to England mentioned on the website.

There are several references to the Vimy Pilgims in "The Times" of 1936 and Mrs Wood does get a mention:

July 28th 1936 - Canadian Pilgrims in London

"A special party will go to the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, where Mrs. O. S Wood who lost six of her 12 soldier sons will lay a wreath."

July 29th 1936 - 8,000 Canadians in London

"After the Benediction the clergy, escorted by the British Legion Standards will lead a delegation to the Unknown Warrior's Tomb in Westminster Abbey, where Mrs Woods, a canadian visitor, aged 75, whose 12 sons fought in the war, will place a wreath of remembrance."

Again discrepancies one mentioning losing six sons and the other only stating that 12 sons fought and giving no detail of lost sons.

Pam

[nhclark]

I dug up a rather old (2000) message on Rootsweb about the Wood brothers here: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/r...0-12/0976507240

and pals may like to have a look at it. An extract follows:

We are trying to locate information on the sons of Charlotte Susan Wood of

Winnipeg, a Silver Cross Mother. Eleven of her sons enlisted in WW1 and five

were killed. Mrs. Wood was present at the uncveiling of the Vimy Memorial in

July 1936 and was presented to King Edward VIII. Photographs show her

wearing the medals on her coat. The following is a description from the

photograph supplied by one of our researchers:

Top row, full size medals. 1st medal unknown. 2nd, at first I thought this

was an MC but it appears to be a larger version of a Mothers Cross which is

normally worn by an 11mm ribbon from the neck and suspended by a ring,

however the suspender is straight. The 3rd is, I believe, a Star followed by

a War Medal and Victory Medal.

Middle row, minutures?: The Cross extends downwards into the 2nd row and is

followed by a pair of trios.

3rd row, minutures?: four sets of pairs?.

Some of the sons served with the BEF and some with the CEF. It's those with

the British forces that I am writing about.

I have e-mailed the writer of this message (Susan Evans Shaw, who appears to have written a couple of books) in the hope that she may have some details that will help us in this mystery.

If you read the whole of the Rootsweb correspondence, you will pick up another discrepancy. Here, Frederick Wood is alleged to have died at Mons in 1914. The other web-site that we have (http://www.geocities.com/charlotte_susan_wood/cs03011.htm) says he died in 1916.

I will keep pals informed...

Noel

[nhclark]

I thought that Forum members would like an update on the subject of Mrs. Charlotte Susan Wood and her sons/stepsons.

The e-mail contact whom I found on Rootsweb has not replied to my message. I'm pretty sure that the message was received, because it did not bounce.

In desperation, I have tried a new tack. Noting that the Wood family is mentioned here: http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/remembers/sub.cfm...ons/poster/2000 I decided to write direct to Veterans Affairs Canada. I have had an initial reply, stating that my message has been passed to the appropriate department for action.

I will keep you all advised of any further responses.

Noel

[linge]

Noel

Thanks for keeping us informed.

Regards

Pam

[nhclark]

Forum members interested in the five Wood brothers may be interested in the following response just received from Veterans Affairs Canada. You will recall that VAC refers to Mrs. Wood and her family on its web-site.

[beginning of quote] 'Thank you for your e-mail dated October 27, 2008, regarding the First World War and the participation of the sons of Mrs. Charlotte Susan Wood. Your patience awaiting a reply is appreciated.

With respect to researching the family, Library and Archives Canada or the Department of National Defence may be of assistance. Archives Canada preserves Canada's documentary heritage including the original documentation of all members who served in Canada's Armed Forces; the Department of National Defence has a Directorate of History and Heritage dedicated to military history and archival information. Contact information is as follows:

Library and Archives Canada

395 Wellington Street

Ottawa, Ontario

K1A 0N4

Phone: (613) 996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 (toll free in Canada/US)

TTY: Library-(613) 992-6969 or 1-866-299-1699 (toll free in Canada)

Fax: Library - (613) 943-1112/ Archives - (613) 995-6274 Web site: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy

Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH) National Defence Headquarters

101 Colonel By Drive

Ottawa, Ontario

Canada K1A 0K2

Fax: (613) 990-8579

Web site: www.dnd.ca/dhh

As the service records of Canadians who served in the armed forces of countries other than Canada are held by those countries, you may also wish to contact The National Archives of the United Kingdom. For ease of reference, contact coordinates are as follows:

The National Archives

Ruskin Avenue

Kew, Richmond, SurreyTW9 4DU

United Kingdom

Web site: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/militaryhistory/

Generations of Canadian service men and women, through their courage, determination and sacrifice have helped to ensure that we can live in a free and peaceful country. Your interest in promoting the recognition and understanding of their contributions is greatly appreciated.

I hope the information provided is helpful and thank you for writing.

Yours sincerely, [End of quote]'

So, basically, I have drawn a blank. To research the brothers any further it would seem that it is necessary to approach the Department of History and Heritage (DHH) in Ottawa (details given above).

My gut feel is that further progress at the Canadian end will only be made by research in person at the DHH and also in any newspaper archives in Winnipeg and Edmonton. I suspect that enquiries other than in person may not elicit much more than I have achieved.

I can't see how anything further can be achieved at TNA in London.

I remain surprised that we on the GWF have not been able to readily access accurate material relating to the five Wood brothers, and that we cannot give proper recognition to their sacrifices. May they rest in peace, wherever they are.

Noel

[jrusing]

Hi Paul, my name is John Rusing and I am the grandson of Joseph James Wood who was the third child of Frederick Louis Wood and his first wife, Elizabeth. Frederick's second wife was Charlotte Susan Wood. As you can deduct, Joseph Wood did not die during the war as suggested by the story "Lady Lost 5 Sons". I tried to contact Ceris Schrader, regarding this error, but was unsuccessful despite repeated attempts.

I came across the forum discussion of the Wood family during my genealogy efforts on the family. I have copies of the 1881, 1891, 1901 British Census records for the family plus the military records for Joseph Wood while he was in the British Navy from 1897 to 1903. Joseph immigrated to the United States around 1906 and got married in New York in 1908. He never served in WWI but did return to England in 1916 to enlist, however the war ended before he was taken (have record of the offer). He returned to the US in 1920 and lived there until death in 1947.

Hope this helps. Found your discussions interesting.

[Guest susanes]

I dug up a rather old (2000) message on Rootsweb about the Wood brothers here: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/r...0-12/0976507240

and pals may like to have a look at it. An extract follows:

I have e-mailed the writer of this message (Susan Evans Shaw, who appears to have written a couple of books) in the hope that she may have some details that will help us in this mystery.

If you read the whole of the Rootsweb correspondence, you will pick up another discrepancy. Here, Frederick Wood is alleged to have died at Mons in 1914. The other web-site that we have (http://www.geocities...ood/cs03011.htm) says he died in 1916.

I will keep pals informed...

Noel

I am the Susan Evans Shaw you tried to contact. I don't recall receiving your message but it was some time ago. I am in touch with JOhn Rusing of this list. Subsequent to the appearance of Ceris Schrader's web site about Mrs. Wood and her five sons, I received an e-mail from John Rusing identifying himself as the grandson of Joseph Wood. I too tried to contact Ceris without success. John and I corrsponded for a while then lost touch until a couple of weeks ago. Meanwhile he was researching the family.

My message on Rootsweb was on behalf of researched at the Canadian War Museum who were interested in the fate of the medals. That has never been resolved. Whether they are in the possession of a member of the family or were buried with Mrs. Wood, it still an open question.

I apologise for my long silence for whatever reason. I have never lost interest in the story.

Susan

[jrusing]

As the grandson of Joseph James Wood I pursued research of the Frederick Louis Wood family genealogy. After spending the last few years investigating, I have determined that Charlotte Susan Wood, of the “Lady Lost 5 Sons” as written by Ceris Schrader, did not suffer the loss of 5 sons but instead lost 2 sons in WWI. Unfortunately it has been very difficult to get this error corrected as Ceris has not responded to attempts to contact her. Nevertheless, I am posting this to draw attention to the issue. The following summarizes the 12 sons of Frederick Louis Wood and their ultimate disposition. Those names in capital letters are the sons identified by Charlotte Wood as the 5 sons she lost in WWI. No one has been able to explain the reason for these errors.

John Rusing ( jarusing@yahoo.com )

1. Richard Thomas Wood, never served in WWI.

· Born April 13, 1880 in St. Thomas, England (source: birth certificate)

· Enlisted in the Royal Horse and Artillery Regiment from 1900 to 1905 when he was discharged as medically unfit (source: Army attestation papers-7599)

· Died January 21, 1925 in Strood, England (source: death certificate)

2. LEWIS ROBERT WOOD, never served in WWI.

o Born November 19, 1881 in St. Thomas, England (source: birth certificate)

o Died July 23, 1904 in Southwark, England (source: death certificate)

3. JOSEPH JAMES WOOD, never served in WWI.

· Born February 21, 1883 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

· Enlisted in the Royal Navy from 1897 to 1903 when he was discharged via shore purchase (source: Royal Navy seaman records-194325)

· Died January 29, 1947 in Royal Oak, MI (source: death certificate).

4. William Walter Wood, never served in WWI.

· Born October 27, 1884 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

· Enlisted in the Loyal North Lancaster Regiment 1904 and was discharged 8 days later as “not likely to make an effective soldier” (source: Army attestation papers-8133), immigrated to Canada in 1906 (source: Ships manifest and 1911 Canadian census)

· Died in Canada, location and date unknown.

5. Arthur Abraham Wood, served in WWI and survived.

· Born November 1, 1885 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

· Enlisted in the Royal Marines Light Infantry from 1904 to 1927 when he was honorably discharged (source: Military discharge papers-14851).

· Died January 10, 1949 in Plumstead, England (source: death certificate).

6. James Alfred Wood, served in WWI and survived.

· Born July 29, 1887 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

· Served in the Coldstream Guards during WWI and was discharged after serious leg injury (source: No military papers survived but brother Charles diary confirmed)

· Died April 20, 1948 in Winnipeg, MB (source: newspaper obituary and cemetery records).

7. FREDERICK FRANCIS WOOD, served in WWI and killed in action.

· Born February 7, 1891 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

· Served in the Royal West Kent Regiment and killed in action in Aldershot, France (source: Military records-G/10546)

· Died October 7, 1916 in France (Source: military records).

8. John Jacob Wood, served in WWI and survived.

· Born July 29, 1892 in Strood, England (source birth certificate)

· Enlisted in the CEF from 1914 to 1917 and was discharged after serious head injury resulted in over 50% hearing loss (source: CEF attestation papers-436163)

· Died May 24, 1969 in Edmonton, AB (source: newspaper obituary).

9. Benjamin Bert Wood, never served in WWI.

· Born August 2, 1894 (source: birth certificate)

· Medical condition prevented him from serving in the War.

· Died December 3, 1977 in Gunn, AB (source: newspaper obituary)

10. HERBERT HARRY WOOD, served in WWI and survived.

· Born September 23, 1896 in Greenwich, England (source: birth certificate)

· Enlisted in the CEF from 1915 to 1917 and was discharged as medically unfit due to poor eyesight (source: CEF attestation papers-624177)

· Died April 1, 1918 in Edmonton, AB (source: newspaper obituary)

11. PETER PERCY WOOD, served in WWI and killed in action.

· Born May 21, 1899 in Bexley Heath, England (source: birth certificate)

· Enlisted in the CEF from 1915 to 1917 when he was killed in action in La Coulotte, France (source: CEF attestation papers-887640)

· Died May 5, 1917 in France (Military documents)

12. Charles Christopher Wood, served in WWI and survived.

· Born April 11, 1901 in Erith, England (source: birth certificate)

· Enlisted in the CEF from 1916 to 1917 and was discharged as a consequence of being a minor (source: CEF attestation papers-624201)

· Died September 11, 1988 in Royal Oak, MI (source: death certificate)

[Tom Morgan]

I think there are several reasons for the error (that Mrs. Wood lost five sons in the war).

• There is the card attached to a wreath that Mrs. Wood laid at the War Memorial at Winnepeg. This quite unequivocally states that Joseph, Louis, Fred, Harry and Percy were killed in the war and that the wreath was "from Mother Mrs. C. S. Wood".
• The "Times" of July 30th, 1936 covers the story of the Canadian Pilgrims who had attended the inauguration of the Vimy Memorial, and their subsequent visit to London, where there was a service at the Cenotaph. Afterwards, the columns marched off but "Meanwhile a special party, with the clergy and legion standards, had proceeded to Westminster Abbey where Mrs. Wood, a Canadian visitor, aged 75, whose 12 sons fought in the war, placed a wreath of Remembrance on the Unknown Warrior's tomb".
• Library and Archives Canada/National Gallery of Canada has in its collection a photograph of Mrs. Wood meeting King Edward VIII at Vimy. In this photograph she is identified as Mrs. A. Woods, but this and another photograph show Mrs. Woods dressed the same as the Mrs. C. S. Wood in Ceris Schrader's photograph on my website, with the beret, the dark coat and all the medals on the right-hand side. The Canadian Archives record that Mrs. Woods lost seven sons in the war.
• The Winnepeg Free Press reproduced this photo in 1936 and reported, "The King held the old woman's hand as they told him that eleven of her sons had fought with the Canadian Corps and that five had been killed".

The point I am making is that there is a long history of references to a Canadian mother called Wood or Woods attaining quite a bit of celebrity on the strength of losing five sons in the war, or losing seven sons in the war, or having twelve sons who served in the war or having eleven sons who served with the Canadian Corps. And all of these references pre-date Ceris Schrader's article by decades. Merely "correcting" the article on my website, or removing it completely, as I have been asked to do, will not correct the historical record, should that also prove to be false.

What I have decided to do on with the Hellfire Corner article, is add a note at the beginning, mentioning the evidence that Mrs. Wood didn't lose five sons, but two. I'll be asking readers to bear this in mind when they read the article, and there will be a further addition at the end, which will summarise the evidence which Forum Pals have noted for some time, and which John Rusing, with his family connections has been able to expand upon. In this way I won't be removing the whole article (and with it the intriguing questions about the card on the wreath, the royal introduction, the laying of the tribute in Westminster Abbey, the celebrity status etc., which I'd like to see answers to) and I won't be omittiing or editing any of Ceris Schrader's words without her approval. By the way - I'm sure that Ceris got her details about what had happened to the five sons from an absolutely believable source. She doesn't name this source, but she does mention having spoken to a family member. I'n not suggesting for a moment that Ceris has made anything up to deceive us. I don't believe that to be true. (I have been trying to contact Ceris for the last two or three years but without success. This isn't unusual. I've been out of touch with some Hellfire Corner authors for much longer than that).

This seems to be the best solution to the subject of misinformation about Mrs. Wood and her sons as far as my website is guilty of repeating it. But it doesn't address the massive amount of historical misinformation which exists in earlier records - the newspaper reports, photo captions etc - all of which must also be called into question. If any Forum Member is able to provide any evidence of what was going on all those years ago, I'd be happy to know about it and will amend my footnote to the article as information comes in.

Tom

[Broznitsky]

This seems to be the best solution to the subject of misinformation about Mrs. Wood and her sons as far as my website is guilty of repeating it.

Seems to be a sensible way of handling it Tom until somebody hears from the elusive Ceris.

[fatford41]

In the absence of evidence one way or another, in my humble opinion, the Hellfire Corner article should be dropped from the web site until proven or disapproved. Standard journalism practice.

Cheers

Bob

[jayelbee]

To add a bit of information to what is already posted:

According to articles in the Winnipeg Free Press in the mid to late 1920's Charlotte Susan Wood was active in the "Ladies Auxilliaries" of several veterans associations. She took part in the Vimy Pilgrimage in July 1936. A Free Press article dated July 28, 1936 described her presentation to the King. When Mrs Wood died on October 11, 1939, she was living at 812 Burnell Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. At that time, this address was a rooming house. Her obituary the following day did not mention any family members. Mrs Wood's grave at Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg was unmarked until 2003, when a local company donated the marker that stands today.

We know that six sons were living in North America at the time of her death: William, James, Benjamin, John, Harry and Charles, but only James was known to be living in Winnipeg in 1939. The Winnipeg Henderson Directory listed a "WW Wood" living at 808 Burnell Street in 1939. This might be our man, especially as he would be living next door to his mother. The best I can say, though, is "might". I found references to two "William Wood's" in a newspaper archive search. One, whose full name was William Walter Wood, lived in Emerson, Manitoba, on the Canada/US border. He died in Winnipeg on November 23, 1979 and is buried at Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg. However, his obituary refers to surviving brothers named Reginald and Clare. The other William Wood died at Winnipeg on April 19, 1950, but he was born in Scotland. So, I don't think either one is the elusive William Walter Wood we seek.

John Jacob Wood enlisted with the 51st Battalion, with regimental number 436163. He sailed overseas with the 1st Reinforcing Draft, 51st Bn. His name is on page 27 of the battalion sailing list.

Herbert Henry Wood followed John into the 51st Bn, with r/n 436232. His name is not on the 51st Bn Sailing List. He later re-enlisted with the 151st Bn, r/n 624177, but he did not sail with that battalion, either.

Charles Christopher Wood also enlisted with the 151st Bn, r/n 624201, but, like Herbert, he did not sail with the battalion, either. His attestion papers are not availalbe on line. In 1948 he was living in Detroit, Michigan, (source, see James Alfred Wood below).

Percy Peter Wood enlisted with the 188th Battalion. He sailed with the 188th to England. His name is on page 21 of the battalion sailing list. He was eventually posted to the 46th Bn. He went missing on May 5, 1917 during what the battalion war diary described as a "minor action" against The Triangle at La Coulette, France. This attack is also described in the book "The Suicide Battalion" (McWilliams and Steel) from page 90.

James Alfred Wood died on April 20, 1948. At the time of his death he was working as a Commisionaire, and lived at Apartment 16, the Empire Block, 207 Logan Avenue, Winnipeg. His obituary stated that he was survived by his brother Charles. John and Benjamin, although alive and living in Alberta, were not mentioned; nor was William. He is buried in the Military Section at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, not far from his mother.

Whatever happened to the sister, Ellen? A search in her name produced no results.

There is no question that Mrs Wood had at least 25 medals and five Memorial Crosses, given that she was photographed on several occasions wearing them. The question is, how did she get them, and what happened to them?. I know from my own research that veterans and veterans' groups guarded the right to wear medals and badges jealously and vigourously. Its hard to believe that no-one would have taken a look at the engravings. All the medals disappeared after her death. The Canadian War Museum announced a search for them in March 1997, (source, Free Press, March 11, 1997). I have no idea of any result.

No matter how you view it, the Wood family contribution to the Great War effort was impressive. Of eleven brothers, Richard and Benjamin were medically unfit for service, Joseph returned to England to volunteer but was not accepted, and William we cannot say for sure. The other seven brothers all enlisted. Two were underage, but only one got caught. Two were killed and, as if to emphasize the tragedy, neither has a known grave. Two were left disabled. Having the most number of sons march off to war, or having the most sons killed in a war is not a contest we would wish any mother to win. Whether one, two or five sons lost, Mrs Wood had every right to demand of her king: "I have been looking at the trenches and I just can't figure out why our boys had to go through that."

Cheers, Jim, Winnipeg

[Broznitsky]

Thanks for conducting this further research Jim.

[Guest Matt L'Herogan]

New user here. I was directed to this forum from a google search while doing family genealogy, and I thought I would make my tiny contribution to this thread in the hope it may help. My grandmother, Sylvia (Hoskins) L'Herault crossed the Canadian border at Emerson, MB, from the US in 1928 with my grandfather and my then 3 1/2 year old father. They were traveling to 808 Burnell in Winnipeg to visit a friend named "W. Woods". This information is gleaned from border Crossings: US to Canada, 1908-1935 on the ancestry.com site. I have no further information as to the purpose of this visit, but I will post back to this forum if I discover anything pertinent to the Wood(s) family and the Great War. If member John Rusing is still monitoring this discussion, I would enjoy talking to him offline.

[jayelbee]

September 20, 2011

Hi Matt:

I did some local research for Mr Rusing relating to the "W Wood" who lived at 808 Burnell Street here in Winnipeg. Although he lived next door to her, this W Wood was not one of Charlotte Wood's sons. I further information that might be of interest. Please contact me by e-mail via jusjunk2002atyahoodotca. In order to avoid spam web crawlers, I changed the "at" and "dot" from symbols to words.

Cheers, Jim, Winnipeg

[jrusing]

Hi all, passing on an update regarding Frederick Francis Wood, the number 7 son of Frederick Louis Wood. Working with researcher Susan Evans Shaw we surfaced inaccuracy on FFW's military information and death as presented by Ceris Schrader. The record from Ceris identified a Francis Wood, service number G/10546 who was with the Royal West Kent Regiment and died in Aldershot. The record was never ironclad as, unlike others, it didn't show the parents name and used Francis instead of Frederick.

Finally finding the short service record for Francis Wood, G/10546, weakened the case further for this being FFW as the age was off by 4 years. Fortunately the service record contained a home address which we were able to check on in the 1911 British Census. The census showed Francis Wood living with his parents, Robert and Emily Wood. This confirmed that Francis Wood was not FFW and we needed to find the right man.

Inexplicably the right Frederick Francis Wood was found in the military under service record L/10371 and identified as Frederick F. Haywood! When you look at the CWGC website under that name the details show the right age, birth location, and parents for him. We also found him in the 1911 Census, in the military, using the same Haywood surname. Don't know why, however, this paradox extends further. We finally found Charlotte, Ben, Harry, Percy, and Charles in the 1911 Census after a lot of researching. The difficulty was driven by their using the same Haywood surname. Again the details confirm their being Wood's not Haywood's as ages, birth locations, and first names are right on. Again no reason stands out. By the way, finding Charlotte and sons in the census under the Haywood surname led Susan Evans Shaw to check military records and surfaced the correct Frederick.

[jayelbee]

November 08, 2011

Update:

Frederick F Wood, aka Haywood, was KIA at Mons in August 1914. He is buried at St Symphorien Cemetery, Mons at the Middlesex Regiment Memorial.

The four sons who served in the CEF all managed to get at least as far as England. I photographed all four files a week ago at the Canadian National Archives in Ottawa. Once they're all sorted and edited, a summary will be posted here, likely in a couple of weeks.

The floral tribute and card which seems to have started all this is mentioned in the Winnipeg Free Press, November 12, 1929. The card is specifically quoted, but a search of the Free Press archive found no trace of it. I'd sure like to know what came of it.

James Alfred Wood is buried in an unmarked grave in the Field of Honour, Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg. His grave is within sight of his mother's. I will contact the Canadian Last Post Fund about arranging a marker.

The "W Wood" who lived at 808 Burnell Street was William Walter Wood, not Charlotte's son. I believe he is the fellow referred to in Mark Guest's post dated September 04, 2011.

Cheers, Jim, Winnipeg

[wpf1958]

There is a wonderful collection of information gathered and I am grateful to everyone who has made a contribution so far and hope everyone is still enjoying the thread.

Wilhelm

[jayelbee]

December 06, 2011

Update of the John Rusing Post dated August 14, 2011

The following summarizes the 12 sons of Frederick Louis and Charlotte Susan Wood and their ultimate disposition. Those names in capital letters are the sons identified by Charlotte Wood as the five sons she lost in World War One. Regimental numbers, where applicable, are shown with each name. All information regarding service in the CEF is from personnel files at the Canadian National Archives.

1. Richard Thomas Wood 7599

Born April 13, 1880 in St. Thomas, England (source: birth certificate)

Served in the Royal Horse Artillery Regiment from 1900 to 1905 when he was discharged as medically unfit (source: Army attestation papers-7599)

Did not serve in WWI

Died January 21, 1925 at Strood, England (source: death certificate)

Buried at: unknown

2. LEWIS ROBERT WOOD

Born November 19, 1881 in St. Thomas, England (source: birth certificate)

Did not serve in WW1

Died July 23, 1904 in Southwark, England (source: death certificate)

Buried at: unknown

3. JOSEPH JAMES WOOD 194325

Born February 21, 1883 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

Served in the Royal Navy from 1897 to 1903 when he was discharged via shore purchase (source: Royal Navy seaman records-194325)

Immigrated to the US in 1911. He returned to England to enlist but was not accepted. He remained there through the war, but did not serve in WW1.

Died January 29, 1947 in Royal Oak, MI (source: death certificate).

Buried at White Chapel Cemetery, Troy, Michigan

4. William Walter Wood 8133

Born October 27, 1884 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

Enlisted in the Loyal North Lancaster Regiment in 1904 and was discharged 8 days later as "not likely to make an effective soldier" (source: Army attestation papers-8133)

Immigrated to Canada in 1906 (source: Ships manifest and 1911 Canadian census)

Did not serve in WW1

Died in Canada, location and date unknown, believed prior to 1929

Buried at: unknown

5. Arthur Abraham Wood 14851

Born November 1, 1885 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

Served in the Royal Marines Light Infantry from 1904 to 1927 when he was honorably discharged. He served throughout WW1 (source: Military discharge papers-14851).

Died January 10, 1949 in Plumstead, England (source: death certificate).

Buried at: unknown

6. James Alfred Wood 6344

Born July 29, 1887 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

He may have served in the Coldstream Guards prior to emigrating to Canada in 1906 (source: Edmonton Bulletin newspaper articles)

He returned to England and enlisted on September 11, 1914. He served in No 4 Company, 3^rd Battalion, Coldstream Guards until medically discharged after a serious leg injury or wound. He returned to Canada aboard the SS Justicia in September 1917. By coincidence, his brother Charles also returned aboard the same sailing. (source: Medal Card, newspaper articles & brother Charles diary confirmed)

Died April 20, 1948 in Winnipeg, Manitoba (source: newspaper obituary & cemetery records).

Buried at Brookside Cemetery, Winnipeg, Manitoba in the Military Section, not far from his mother. His grave, although in the Field of Honour, is unmarked.

7. FREDERICK FRANCIS WOOD L/13071

Born February 7, 1891 in Chatham, England (source: birth certificate)

Served in the 4^th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment as Frederick F Haywood.

Killed in Action at Mons, Belgium, August 24, 1914

Buried at St Symphorien Cemetery, Mons at the Middlesex Regiment Monument

8. John Jacob Wood 436163

Born July 29, 1892 in Strood, England (source birth certificate)

Enlisted with the 51^st Battalion, CEF on January 05, 1915 at Edmonton, Alberta with his brother Harry. He was posted to the 4^th Battalion on August 03, 1915. Suffered head wounds from shrapnel and blast concussion at Mount Sorrel on July 09, 1916. The wounds affected his vision and caused over 50% hearing loss. Medically discharged at Calgary, Alberta on June 30, 1917 (source: CEF file)

Died May 24, 1969 in Edmonton, AB (source: newspaper obituary).

Cremated and ashes interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Edmonton

9. Benjamin Bert Wood

Born August 2, 1894 (source: birth certificate)

Did not serve in WW1 due to a pre-existing medical condition which prevented him from serving.

Died December 3, 1977 in Gunn, AB (source: newspaper obituary)

Buried at Rich Valley Baptist Cemetery, Gunn, Alberta

10. HERBERT HENRY (HARRY) WOOD 436232 & 624177

Born September 23, 1896 in Greenwich, England (source: birth certificate)

Enlisted with the 51st Battalion at Edmonton, Alberta with his brother John. He was assigned to the Stretcher Bearer Section. Medically discharged due to chronic illness at Edmonton on December 16, 1915. He then enlisted in the 151^st Battalion with his brother Charles on December 29, 1915, at Edmonton. He and Charles transferred to the 13^th Battalion, Canadian Mounted Rifles on April 26, 1916, posted to B Company. On arrival in England he was posted first to the Lord Strathcona's Horse Regiment, and later to the Canadian Reserve Cavalry Regiment. It was discovered that he had poor eyesight, and he was returned to Canada, being discharged as medically unfit on November 30, 1917 at Edmonton. (source: CEF files) While serving as a fireman in Edmonton, he was seriously injured in a vehicle accident while on duty, and died of his injuries.

Died August 1, 1918 in Edmonton, AB (source: newspaper obituary)

Buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Edmonton

11. PETER PERCY WOOD 887640

Born May 21, 1899 in Bexley Heath, England (source: birth certificate)

Enlisted with the 188^th Battalion at Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on December 06, 1915. He was underage, and gave his year of birth as 1897. After arriving in England he was posted to the 46^th Battalion on November 30, 1916. He joined the 46^th at Carency, France on March 02, 1917. He took part in the successful attack on Vimy Ridge, April 09-13, 1917. On May 05, 1917, the 46^th Battalion attacked a strongpoint known as "The Triangle" near the village of La Coulotte. He was seen to be killed during the attack, but his body was never recovered. He was two weeks shy of his 18^th birthday. (source: CEF file)

Died: May 05, 1917 at La Coulotte, France

Buried: No known grave. Commemorated on the Vimy Memorial

12. Charles Christopher Wood 624201

Born April 11, 1901 in Erith, England (source: birth certificate)

Enlisted along with his brother Harry with the 151^st Battalion at Edmonton, Alberta. He was underage, giving 1899 as his year of birth. On April 07, 1916 he fell from a horse and suffered head and shoulder injuries. Harry and Charles transferred to the 13^th Canadian Mounted Rifles on April 29, 1916, posted to B Company. On arrival in England he was posted to the Lord Strathcona's Horse. In June 1917 it was discovered that he was underage. It may be that his mother reported him as a minor following his brother Peter's death a month earlier. At his discharge medical it was discovered that his earlier fall from a horse had affected his vision, and he required corrective lenses. He sailed for home aboard the SS Justicia in September 1917, where he met his brother James. He was discharged as underage on October 15, 1917 at Halifax, Nova Scotia. During his 18 months' service, he grew five inches and gained 25 pounds. Post war his shoulder injury continued to cause him difficulties. He underwent surgery in February 1922 at Winnipeg, Manitoba to finally repair the damage. (source: CEF file)

Died September 11, 1988 in Royal Oak, MI (source: death certificate)

Buried at Roseland Park Cemetery, Berkley, MI

In summary, Benjamin had no military service at all. Lewis for certain, and possibly William, died before the war. Joseph volunteered but was never accepted. Richard had been previously discharged and did not serve. Of the seven remaining sons: Frederick and Percy were killed in action; Harry died shortly after his discharge but before war's end; and James, John and Charles were permanently disabled. Only Arthur, who also served the longest, came through apparently uninjured.

Of the children who remained in England when the Wood's moved to Canada, Arthur and Ellen were still alive when Charlotte died in October 1939. Bejamin, Charles, James and John were living in North America at the time of her death:.

If anyone needs further information relating to the brothers' CEF service, feel free to contact me by e-mail via 101stbncef@gmail.com

Cheers, Jim, Winnipeg

[wpf1958]

Many thanks for the information Jim. A brilliant piece of research.