Trooper Charles James WOOD
City of London Yeomanry 2968
3rd Battalion (Royal Horse Guards) Guards Machine Gun Regiment 5051
Charles was born in County Sligo, Ireland in 1886, the son of Charles William Wood and his wife Phoebe Jane. In 1911 when he was 24 he was living in Kensington, London, and working as a Ledger Clerk at John Barker & Son, a large department store. He volunteered for the Territorial Force, City of London Yeomanry (Rough Riders) on 20 November 1915 giving his address as 4 Kensington Square.
Charles remained in this country, serving briefly with the Lincolnshire Yeomanry and then with the Royal Horse Guards from 30 May 1917. In May 1918 he was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps and sent overseas to France. He returned to this country in March 1919 and was demobilised a month later. At this point he gave his address as Ard-na-Greena, Spratton, a house in Station Road (now Brixworth Road). His father also lived in Ard-na-Greena, named after a small village in Ireland. Charles was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.
After the war Charles ran a popular taxi service in Spratton and died in 1953 aged 67. He is buried in the old parish cemetery with his mother and father and his two sisters Phoebe Ethel and Lillian Mary. These two Irish ladies were remembered in the village for their large hats and their dominant singing voices in church. The choir boys also appreciated their Christmas treat of a trip to the cinema in Northampton and then being taken out to tea by the two ladies.*
* See ‘Memories of Old Spratton’ by Enid Jarvis and Michael Heaton, published by Spratton Local History Society 2007 price £8 plus £2.50 postage and packing
Charles Wood’s taxi - a Renault Landaulette
Charles Wood’s taxi - a Renault Landaulette
EXPLORE SECTIONS
MEN WHO SERVED
- Private Charles Herbert AUSTIN (known as Herbert)
- Corporal Frank AUSTIN
- Lance Corporal James William AUSTIN
- Private John Samuel AUSTIN
- Sergeant William Henry AUSTIN
- Sergeant Bertie Henry BALDERSON
- Corporal Frederick Charles BALDERSON MM
- Lance Corporal Robert Samuel BALDERSON
- Private George William BUCKBY (known as William)
- Private Henry Andrew BUCKBY
- Richard Henry Horne BUCKBY
- Transport Sergeant Thomas BUCKBY MM
- Company Quartermaster Sergeant William Gander BUCKBY
- William Archibald COPSON (known as Archibald)
- Sapper Ebenezer COPSON
- Private Ernest Edward COPSON
- Pioneer Henry Owman COPSON (known as Harry)
- Private James COPSON
- Private John William COPSON
- Private Joseph COPSON
- Private Arthur Sidney GOODEN (known as Sidney)
- Private Hugh Henry GOODEN
- Sergeant Joseph Eric GOODEN (known as Eric)
- Private Arthur Thomas HAYTER
- Driver Frank Leonard HAYTER
- Private Harold Herbert HAYTER
- Lance Corporal John Charles HAYTER DCM (known as Jack)
- Private Walter Ernest HAYTER
- Ordinary Seaman Arthur Charles HORNE
- Private John William HORNE (known as William)
- Lance Corporal Lewis HORNE
- Private Thomas HORNE
- Driver John Henry LEESON
- Corporal Joseph Henry LEESON (known as Harry)
- Thomas Baden Powell LEESON (known as ‘Bard’)
- Private Albert MANNING
- Corporal Amos MANNING
- Private Arthur Cecil MANNING
- Private George MANNING
- Sergeant George William MANNING
- Sapper Henry Stanley MANNING (known as Stanley)
- Private John Thomas MANNING
- Private John William MANNING
- Air Mechanic Nathaniel MANNING
- Driver/Saddler Samuel MANNING
- Gunner George Albert MARTIN
- Private Joseph MARTIN
- Private Thomas Henry MARTIN (known as Harry)
- Private Thomas Walter MARTIN (known as Walter)
- Pioneer Walter Ernest MARTIN
- Sergeant William Higgs MARTIN, DCM
- Private Arthur Walter PAGE
- Private Francis Samuel PAGE (known as Sam)
- Private Frank PAGE
- Private Stephen PAGE
- Lieutenant George REEVE MC MM
- Private Richard Henry REEVE (known as Harry)
- Private Samuel REEVE
- Private Sidney Philip REEVE
- Private Frederick Thomas RICHARDSON
- Private John William RICHARDSON
- Private Percy John Partridge RICHARDSON
- Private Abraham Bert SMITH
- Private Alfred SMITH
- Private Frank SMITH 46648
- Private John Samuel SMITH
- Private John William SMITH (6942)
- Private John William (William John) SMITH (8964)
- Private Charles Walter WADHAMS
- Private John Edward WADHAMS
- Private Thomas Edwin WADHAMS
- Private William WADHAMS