Person

Percy Wood, the son of Robert and Annie Wood, was born in Darlington on 21 July 1888. He had a brother and a sister and, apart from army service, lived in Darlington all his life.

After attending Darlington Grammar School he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the 5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry (DLI) on 15 June 1909. He was promoted to lieutenant in August 1912 and served as temporary captain from September 1914 until September 1916. He landed in France with the battalion on 8 April 1915 and was involved in heavy fighting almost immediately, being severely wounded in the thigh at Hooge in May, during the Second Battle of Ypres. In July he was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). In January 1916 he was again Mentioned in Despatches and in 1917 was promoted to captain, back-dated to June 1916.

During 1917 and 1918 he was a recruiting officer and on 2 February 1918 he married Ethel Margaret Young in Wandsworth, London and they had a son. In March 1919 Percy relinquished his commission on account of ill-health, caused by his wounds, and retired as a captain. He returned to Darlington and his work in the coal industry. At the outbreak of the Second World War, he was commissioned in the Home Guard and was a captain in the 20th (Darlington) Battalion. He was later appointed temporary major but reverted to captain in June 1942 and relinquished his commission in December 1945 with the rank of honorary major. He died in Darlington in March 1954.

The award of the DSO was gazetted on 3 July 1915 and the citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry displayed in rallying troops under heavy bomb and hand-grenade fire, and for holding an advanced trench partly occupied by the enemy for four hours, until ordered to return to a new line. He greatly impeded the enemy by building obstacles and entanglements in the trench down which the retirement took place”.

Civil Parish: Darlington

Birth date: 21-Jul-1888

Death date: 4-Mar-1954

Armed force/civilian: Army

Residence: 135 Victoria Road, Darlington (1891 & 1901 censuses)
187 Coniscliffe Road, Darlington (1939 Register)
61 Carmel Road South, Darlington (England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1954)

Education: Darlington Grammar School

Employment: Coal Merchant
Colliery Sales Agent (1939 Register)

Family: Father:Robert Wood
Mother: Annie Wood (nee Read)
Siblings: Mabel & Charles Wood
Wife: Ethel Margaret Wood (nee Young)
Son: Robert Percy Wood

Military service:

5th Battalion Durham Light Infantry
Captain

Medal(s): Distinguished Service Order
Mentioned in Despatches (2)
1914-1915 Star
British War Medal
Victory Medal

Gender: Male

Contributed by John Edwards