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Writer's pictureWendy Sadler

John William Woods Private, RMLI (Ch) S268


John was born on 23rd December 1892 in Walthamstow, London to parents John and Mary. By 1901 the family had moved to Kent, recorded on the census living in District Road, Ashford. John, aged 8, was the second child; he had an elder sister, Emily and two younger siblings, James and Thomas.

10 years followed and the family were now living at 149 East Hill, Dartford, Kent - Emily had left home, John now the eldest of 6 children. He worked as an assistant storekeeper in a chemical factory, maintaining his job for a further 3 years before enlisting with the RMLI on 21st September 1914, aged 21.

He was 5'7" tall, with blue eyes, dark brown hair and a scar on his right shin. He trained as a Private at Chatham until 4th December 1914, embarking to HMS Victory on 5th December 1914 as part of the RM Brigade. His battalion (Chatham) was part of a new Royal Naval Division which was sent to Gallipoli in 1915 as part of the MEF. He was returned to England in October 1915 suffering from nervous shock, returning to Chatham on 2nd December 1915, until 14th March 1916.

John then embarked to HMS Prince George (the pre-dreadnought ship which had also served in the Mediterranean) on 15th March 1916 - however, during 1916 the ship was stationed in UK waters.

John spent a further 16 months at Chatham, embarking for Scapa Flow on 2nd January 1917, serving aboard HMS Vanguard for just 6 months and died aged 24.


#256 - 832/843


Sources:

1901 & 1911 England Census

Royal Naval Division Casualties of The Great War, 1914-1924

National Archives Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: Piece 010; Piece Description: Piece 010 (1914 - 1919)

CWGC Register

Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 ADM 242/10; Scan Number: 1151

Royal Marines Registers of Service Index, 1842-1925



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