Born Emily Marsh, her birth was registered during
the December quarter 1897 in the Bury R.D., the
daughter of Frank & Jessie Marsh (neé Holland).  
 Her grand daughter informs that she was born on
the 27th October 1897, making her 43 years of age
at the time of her death.

1901 Census - 44 Nipper Lane, Whitefield,
Lancashire.   Daughter - aged: 5 - born:
Whitefield.    Head of household - Frank Marsh -
Married - aged: 28 - occ: Stone Mason - born:
Whitefield.  Also Jessie Marsh - Wife - aged: 28 -
born: Manchester.

1911 Census - 3 South Avenue, Whitefield.  
Daughter - aged: 13 - Scholar - born: Whitefield. 
  Her father was working at Lakoja, Nigeria, that
night and her mother - Jessie Marsh was listed as
- Wife - aged: 38 - born: Hulme, Manchester.  Plus
1 younger sister - Ida, aged: 11 months.
Her father returned fom Nigeria with T.B. and died
in 1913.

Her CWD No. 51 (and therefore the CWGC) states
that she was around 40 years of age, but her death
registration record wrongly states that she was
60.

Married Edwin Wood at St. Bride's Church, Old
Trafford on the 23rd February 1918 which was
registered during the March quarter 1918 in the
Barton on Irwell R.D. - ref: 8c/996.

1939 National Registration - 29 Woodstock Road,
Firswood, Stretford.  Edwin Wood - Married - born:
21st March 1893 - occ: Warehouseman - Cotton.  
Emily Wood - Married - born: 27th October 1898 -
occ: Unpaid Domestic Duties.  There are two other
entries - one is blocked under the 100 year rule,
the other is Vera Wood (overwritten Vera
Richardson) - Single - born: 23rd September 1920
(overwritten 2nd September 1922) - occ: Clerk.

Emily and her husband - Edwin were in their
Anderson air raid shelter when it received a
direct hit.   Three Spencer family members
residing next door at No. 27 and were in their own
shelter, were also killed in this incident.

Emily and her husband had instructed their two
daughters (Olive b.1920 & Vera b.1922) to stay
wherever they were in the event of an air raid -
they were not to try to get home.   Emily and her
husband had been at relatives and when the raid
began Emily insisted that she and Edwin went home
"in case the girls came home."   The 'girls'
(their two daughters), survived because they did
as they were told and stayed where they were. 
What a shame Edwin and Emily did not do the same
as they had advised their daughters to do - they
would both have survived had they done so.   Olive
was staying with her future brother-in-law's house
at Hartington Street, Moss Side.   Vera, her
sister was at her fiancee's house at King's Road,
Stretford and Edwin junior, who was home on leave,
was at his then girlfriend's house at Pickford
Street, Stretford.

CWD Report No. 51.    Died as a result of blast at
29 Woodstock Road, Firswood, Stretford, from where
her body was recovered at 13.30 hrs on the 23rd
December 1940 and taken to the City Road Mortuary,
Old Trafford.  Her body was identified by her son
- Edwin Wood, 26 Clarence Street, Brooks's Bar, to
whom it was released for burial.   Described as
being 5 feet 2 inches in height and of heavy
build.

Death registered in Stretford Borough.   Buried on
28/12/1940.

Her husband - Edwin Wood, was also killed in this
incident.

CWGC - Wife of Edwin Wood. Died at 29 Woodstock
Road.

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I am grateful to Edwin's Grand daughter - Janice
Wilson, who kindly sent the following details
about her grandparents and their eldset daughter
(her mother) - Olive Wood.

My mother, their only surviving daughter, is now
95 years old. She has told me about her emotions
and feelings about the following day when she
walked home from where she had been the previous
night. Her parents had told her that if an air aid
started she was to stay put. A pity my
grandparents did not heed their own advice.  If
they had they would not have died that night. 
They had been at relatives and when the raid began
my grandmother insisted that she and Edwin went
home "in case the girls came home." The
'girls'....my mother and her sister survived
because they did as they were told and stayed
where they were. Fate eh? The house is still
standing, the shelter was obliterated!

A few years ago I went to the house where they
died - 29 Woodstock Road..and saw where the
shelter had been. The lady who lived there told me
that several years later, when she was digging
foundations for a shed on the same spot, she found
part of a jawbone with a tooth that had a gold
filling.  There had to be a forensic
investigation.  It was probably the jawbone and
tooth from my grandfather who did have a gold
filling..

Janice has recently found a diary that was kept by
her mother- Olive Wood, during that period. 
Unfortunately it was written in Pitman Shorthand
and is awaiting translation.