Peterborough & The Great War

Biography

Albert Vincent Wood was born in Saddleworth, Yorkshire in April 1893 to parents Frederick Albert, a worsted pattern weaver, and Elizabeth Alice (nee Isherwood).  In 1901 Albert was living at 6 Dufton Terrace with his parents and siblings Ethel Annie (12) and Frederick Cecil (7 months).  In 1911 the family were living at 7 Bell Road, Bell Lane, Bramley, Leeds and Albert is working as a draper’s shop assistant.

Albert was serving as a Private in the 62^nd Division Cyclist Company and stationed at Bungay, Norfolk when he passed through Peterborough East Station on 9 July 1916.  He signed the visitors’ book with copperplate handwriting and an impressive sketch of Charlie Chaplin.

He enlisted on 30 September 1915 as a Private, gaining promotion to Corporal in November 1916.  He landed in France on 15 January 1916 where he was posted to 18^th Corps Cyclist Battalion.  On 30 March he was hospitalised ‘in the field’ with an injury to his left foot described as ‘trivial nature’ and he returned to duty two weeks later.  At the start of September he was attached to 153^rd Infantry Brigade for a month however just eight days later he was admitted to hospital at Camiers with a severe case of trench fever.  On 21 September he returned sick to the UK aboard the SS Ville de Liege.

Despite his return from France he was commissioned as a 2^nd Lieutenant in the West Riding Regiment on 29 October 1918 and was awarded the British War and Allied Victory medals.

The Supplement to the London Gazette published on 19 November 1918 states “the undermentioned cadets to be temp 2^nd Lieutenants from 30 October 1918” and included in the list for the West Riding Regiment is Albert Vincent Wood.

Albert married Olive Bennett on12 September 1925 at St Peter’s Church, Bramley, Leeds.  Their marriage certificate states that Albert was aged 32, living at 7 Bell Road, Bramley and working as a warehouseman. We believe Albert and Olive had two sons, John B (1925) and Terrence H (1927) born in Bramley.

In 1939 Albert and Olive are living at 12 Roseworth Avenue in Gosforth, Northumberland.  Albert was now the Managing Director of Wholesale Commissions with Olive having a position in a drapery warehouse.

Albert died, aged 53, on 3 July 1946 in Leeds General Infirmary.  He was living at 28 North Park Grove, Roundhay, Leeds.

Do you recognise the Charlie Chaplin sketch as something one of your relatives could have done?  If so, we would like to hear from you and find out more about Albert and his family.

The research on A V Wood has proved to be very difficult and we believe him to be the soldier described above.  However, we did carry out research on a Private Arthur Wood who was born in Westminster, London on 1 February 1891, one of eight children of William and Ellen (nee Cranswick).  In 1911, he lived at 7 Churton Place, Pimlico, London SW1 and was a copy holder at a printers, which may account for his ability to write in copperplate.  He married Alice Barker on 26 May 1930, at St George, Hanover Square and in the 1939 Register, they were living at 5 Edgarley Terrace, Fulham, London and Arthur was a postman.  Arthur died in February 1971 in Fulham, London.

Please get in touch if you are able to confirm that we have the correct soldier or if you can tell us more.