Stephen Wood

A Sergeant with 11th Bn., Stephen died on 26th of September 1915 at the age of 23.

Stephen was born at Harleston, Norfolk, on 21st February 1892, a son of Jeremiah and Mary Wood. He was baptised at the parish church of Redenhall with Harleston and Wortwell on 30 October 1892, and his family lived at Kirkley, Lowestoft. By 1901 his father had died and his mother had married Thomas Farrow, and they lived at 235 London Road, Lowestoft. Later his mother lived at 12 Payne Street, Lowestoft. 

In 1911 Stephen was working as a deck hand on the trawler Arimathea (sic – LT 300?) at Penzance. 

Stephen volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Essex Regiment and was posted to the 11th Battalion. Stephen was promoted to Corporal in June 1915 and was already a Sergeant when he arrived in France with the Battalion on 30 August 1915. 

Describing the events of 26 September 1915, the 11th Battalion War Diary has:

2 a.m. (At Vermelles, near Lone Tree) Got into the German first and second trench. 
6 a.m. Breakfast on remains of haversack ration and iron rations and water, being shelled intermittently without much loss.
11 a.m. Were ordered to attack trenches to our front and advanced in lines of platoons – our left moving roughly parallel and about 600 yards south of the Hulluch – Vermelles Road . . . when we left the trenches we were heavily shelled  - but suffered little loss considering the volume. 
11.15 a.m. Reaching appoint south of Hulluch we came under very heavy machine-gun fire which came apparently from houses to the west end of Hulluch, and suffered many casualties especially in crossing the road from La Bassee passing through Hulluch.
11.30 a.m. When the leading line had reached about 300 yards east of the road running north – south as above and order came that we were to get into the sunken road on the right . . . further advance under such heavy fire seemed useless the men were got into the sunken road and fire opened on Hulluch . . while the stream of men from various regiments was gradually drawn back to the easternmost end of the German trenches which was manned and organised.  

On 26 September the 11th Battalion lost 18 officers and 350 men. 

The following report appeared in the Lowestoft Journal of 20 November 1915, page 1:

LOWESTOFT ROLL OF HONOUR

SERGEANT STEPHEN WOOD

Sergeant Stephen Wood, of the 11th Battalion Essex Regiment, son of Mrs. Farrow, of 12 Payne Street, South Lowestoft, has been killed in action during the fighting at Hulluch. The Major of the battalion writes to Mrs. Farrow:-

“This battalion was very warmly engaged on the morning of 26th September, beginning their attack about 11 o’clock. It was between11 and 12.30 that your son was killed. He was gallantly leading the men of his platoon under a very heavy fire, and at the conclusion of the fighting was, together with many others, reported to be missing. The battalion was moved from that neighbourhood during the night and we have only just been informed that your son was buried by another battalion. It will be some slight consolation to you, I know, to know that he and the whole battalion that day showed the greatest coolness, and advanced under a devastating fire as if on parade. Please accept the deepest sympathy from the officers and all ranks for your great loss. We, too, feel that we have lost a gallant and valuable non-commissioned officer.”