Name
Sidney Woods
1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
03/11/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
19523
Bedfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. SEVER CEMETERY EXTENSION, ROUEN
O 1 B 5
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Tring Town Memorial, St Peter & St Paul Church Roll of Honour, Tring
Pre War
Sidney Woods was born in 1887 (baptised 6 Feb 1887) at Ridgmont, Bedfordshire, into a farm labouring family.
On the 1891 Census the family of parents: Thomas, agricultural labourer, and Eliza (nee Green), John (born 1878), William (born 1880), Alice (born 1882), Flora (born 1884) and Sidney were living at Castle Hill, Ridgmont, Beds.
On the 1901 Census the family, still living at Castle Hill, consisted of parents : Thomas & Eliza (lace maker),William and Sidney (both farm labourers).
In the 1911 Census (then aged 24) he is recorded living at Sand Pit, Ridgmont, Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire, with his wife Maud (aged 23, married in 1908), a daughter Florence (aged 2) and a baby son Frederick, his occupation being ’traction engine driver’.
Wartime Service
No Service Record was found for Sidney. He was enlisted in the Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 19523 and went to France to join the 8th (Service) Battalion as part of 16 Brigade, 6th Division. They took part in the Battles of the Somme in 1916: Flers-Courcelette (15th–22nd Sept) and the Battle of Morval (25th–28th Sept), and the Battle of Le Transloy (1st–18th Oct). They were still manning the trenches following the Battle of Le Transloy and the Battalion War Diary records their casualties:
“12 Oct: trenches east of Gueudecourt. Relieved 1/KSLI [King’s Shropshire Light Infantry] and 2/Y&L [York and Lancaster Regiment] in trenches E. of GUEUDECOURT at night. 2/Lt Sharpin wounded.
13 Oct: in trenches as above. Enemy artillery active also snipers. Intense bombardment at 5.45 pm to 6.15 p.m. Casualties 4 O.R. Killed 11 wounded.
14 Oct: in trenches as above. Artillery very active on each side. Casualties 3 O.R. killed & 10 wounded.
15 Oct: in trenches as above. Intermittent shelling whole day very intense for about half an hour at midnight 15/16. Three Enemy snipers shot down. Casualties 2/Lt Gibson died of wounds 2 O.R. killed, 8 wounded.
16 Oct: in trenches as above. Clear sky most of day aircraft very active resulting in less hostile shelling during daylight. Intense hostile shelling for half an hour commenced at 5.45 pm. Casualties 4 O.R. killed & 4 wounded. Another German sniper shot down
17 Oct: in trenches as above. Artillery very active all day on both sides. At 5 pm intense hostile bombardment lasting 40 minutes. Casualties 4 killed 3 wounded.”
Sidney was probably wounded during this period and was evacuated to No 9 General Hospital at Rouen where he died of his wounds on 3 Nov 1916.
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £7 10s and arrears of £5 13s 5d was paid to his widow Maud.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
