The AIF Project

George William WOOD

Regimental number511
Place of birthMelbourne, Victoria
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationBootmaker
AddressAlbury Street, West Brunswick, Victoria
Marital statusMarried
Age at embarkation23
Height5' 7"
Weight144 lbs
Next of kinFather, Arthur A Wood, 453 Albury Street, West Brunswick, Victoria
Previous military serviceNil
Enlistment date20 August 1914
Place of enlistmentMelbourne, Victoria
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name7th Battalion, D Company
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/24/1
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Melbourne, Victoria, on board Transport A20 Hororata on 19 October 1914
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll7th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 25 April 1915
Age at death from cemetery records24
Place of burialNo known grave
Commemoration detailsThe Lone Pine Memorial (Panel 30), Gallipoli, Turkey

The Lone Pine Memorial, situated in the Lone Pine Cemetery at Anzac, is the main Australian Memorial on Gallipoli, and one of four memorials to men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Designed by Sir John Burnet, the principal architect of the Gallipoli cemeteries, it is a thick tapering pylon 14.3 metres high on a square base 12.98 metres wide. It is constructed from limestone mined at Ilgardere in Turkey.

The Memorial commemorates the 3268 Australians and 456 New Zealanders who have no known grave and the 960 Australians and 252 New Zealanders who were buried at sea after evacuation through wounds or disease. The names of New Zealanders commemorated are inscribed on stone panels mounted on the south and north sides of the pylon, while those of the Australians are listed on a long wall of panels in front of the pylon and to either side. Names are arranged by unit and rank.

The Memorial stands over the centre of the Turkish trenches and tunnels which were the scene of heavy fighting during the August offensive. Most cemeteries on Gallipoli contain relatively few marked graves, and the majority of Australians killed on Gallipoli are commemorated here.

Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
52
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
Parents: Arthur Abel and Emma Augusta WOOD
Other details

War service: Egypt, Gallipoli

Embarked Alexandria to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, Gallipoli, 5 April 1915.

Wounded and missing in action.

Court of Enquiry, held in the field, France, 5 June 1916, confirmed fate as killed in action, 25 April 1915.

Australian Red Cross Information Bureau, Melbourne, stated, 7 March 1916: '520 Corporal Bugler CONNELL ... writes to the relatives that casualty was lying near the informant, about half-way up the hill at Gaba Tepe, both badly wounded on the morning of April 25. That the casualty was shot though the small of the back, and appeared to be in great pain. The informant called him, but received no answer. The casualty was carried away by stretcher bearers and that was the last the informant saw of him. Casualty was a great friend of Pte E.W. Junier, 463, D Co, 7th Btn, since reported missing. The informant states the casualty was carried to the beach and died there, as he has not heard of him since.' Two other informants stated that Wood had been killed in the charge at Cape Helles on 8 May: Corporal Hardner, B Company, 59th Bn, stated that 'he knows he [Wood] took part in the fighting at Cape Helles. Witness saw him there on 8th May, but is unable to say what became of him subsequently.' 1004 J. Carlile, 7th Bn, stated 'that this casualty was killed at Cape Helles. The reasons for this belief are that informant met Sgt Young of the 7th Battalion B Co at [1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital] Harefield [England] in September and in conversation Young told informant tht this casualty was killed in the charge at Cape Helles on the 8th May. Sgt Young said he (himself) was wounded in the same charge.'

Base Records informed father, 22 June 1915, that Wood had been reported wounded: 'In the absence of further reports Egypt advises that it is to be assumed that all wounded are progressing satisfactorily'.

Father wrote to Base Records, 4 July 1922, 'We received a letter written on the morning of the 8th prior to going into battle [at Krithia] in the evening, but this was the last communication of any kind received from my Son, nor have we in anyway heard anything concerning him.'

Mother wrote from home (now named 'Krithia') to Base Records, 3 June 1926: 'In the proof slip of the entry for Lone Pine Memorial my Son is reported as killed in action on 25th April 1915. This is incorrect, as I have in my possession letters from my Son dated 8th May 1915, and it was on this day that he was killed in action. Further proof is in a letter received from a comrade stating that my Son was killed in this action on 8th May '15.' Base Records replied, 11 June 1926: 'Regarding the reports of this soldier's death, it would appear from the evidence submitted by you that the correct date of death should read - 8th May, 1915, and the records have been provisionally amended to conform therewith.' The official record remains unchanged.

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal

Medals granted to father on behalf of the soldier's son, custody of whom was granted to the soldier's father when the son's step-father (the soldier's wife having remarried) was convicted of wilfully illtreating the child.
Miscellaneous detailsSurname incorrectly recorded on Embarkation Roll as WOODS.
SourcesNAA: B2455, WOOD George William

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