Wilfred Wood VC (2 February 1897 – 3 January 1982) was an English recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. The VC was awarded for his actions on the Italian front against Austro-Hungarian forces in the First World War.
Details Wood worked as a railway shed cleaner when the First World War broke out. He enlisted with the Cheshire Regiment, British Army, and became a stretcher bearer.
He was 21 years old, and a private, transferred to the 10th Battalion, The Northumberland Fusiliers, when the following deed took place at the battle of Vittorio Veneto for which he was awarded the VC:
After the war, he returned to his pre-war job on the railways, qualifying first as a fireman, then as an engine driver. He retired in 1960 as a supervisor. He died on 3 January 1982, aged 84, and was cremated at Stockport Crematorium five days later.
A LNWR Claughton Class locomotive, no. 1097, was named after him in January 1922. In 1923 the LNWR amalgamated with other railways to create the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS), and this locomotive was moved away from the Manchester area in April 1926, at which time the name was transferred to another Manchester-based locomotive of the same class, LNWR no. 179. It was given the LMS number 6018 in January 1928. It was withdrawn from service in February 1933, and its replacement built in May 1933, a LMS Patriot Class steam locomotive carrying the same number, was named after him. This was itself renumbered 5536 in April 1934. British Railways (BR) rebuilt it with a taper boiler in November 1948 when it was given the BR number 45536. It was finally withdrawn in December 1962, and scrapped in March 1964. After withdrawal, the nameplate resided inside Norbury Primary School in Hazel Grove until it was donated to the Fusiliers Museum of Northumberland.
He is commemorated by a plaque outside Stockport railway station and is the subject of a BBC Manchester radio programme. The JD Wetherspoon pub in Hazel Grove is named after him.
His VC medal is owned privately.
See also Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999) The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
Bibliography
References
External links Location of grave and VC medal (Manchester) Up the Line Western Front Association VC Online biography