255456 CSM. William Wood DCM, MM, CdeG.British Army B Coy, 1/4 Btn. York &and Lancaster Regiment from:Sheffield William Wood was my great, great grandfather. He was born in Sheffield in 1876 to parents Joseph and Annie and was the eldest of 8 children.
He served in South Africa, though very little is known about his time there. He re-joined the army at the onset of WW1.
The story was that on enlisting he shaved 6 years off his age as those around him were adding to theirs. He became Company Sergeant Major of B company 1st/4th battalion of the York and Lancaster Regiment. He was awarded the DCM, MM and the Belgium Croix de Guerre. He was mentioned in dispatches.
Unfortunately we haven't been able to discover how he earned his medals but he was undoubtedly a brave man. He was wounded twice and spent time in Wharncliffe hospital where his younger sister Lily worked.
He survived the war and died in 1940 aged 64. He had been gassed in the trenches and this was thought to have contributed to his death.
His younger brother George, born in 1891, was a Sergeant in the same battalion. He fell at Loos in 1917 aged 26.
We are very proud of William and George.
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