Edwin Wood

Rank:Civilian
Died:23/12/1940Age:47
How Died:Blast
Incident Date:23/12/1940
Incident Address.29 Woodstock Road, Firswood
Died Address:29 Woodstock Road, Firswood
C.W.D. No.53
Grave Details:N-NC/821
Grave Photo:No - Unmarked
Cemetery or Memorial:Manchester (Southern) Cemetery
Town Memorial:Not Listed
Extra Information:
Born on the 21st March 1893, the birth registered
during the March quarter 1894 in the Chorlton R.D.
- ref: 8c/897, the son of George Edwin & Martha
Wood (nee Brunton).

1901 Census - 42, Owen Street, Hulme, Manchester. 
  Son - aged: 7 - born: Manchester.   Head of
household - George E. Wood - Married - aged: 35 -
occ: Engraver Calico Printers - born: Manchester. 
 Also - Martha Wood - Wife - aged: 35 - born:
Manchester.   Plus  4 siblings.

1911 Census - 8 Tatton Street, Hulme, Manchester. 
    Son - aged: 18 - occ: Warehouseman - born:
Manchester.   Head of household - George Edward
Wood - Married - aged: 46 - occ: Engraver - born:
Manchester.     Also - Martha Wood - Wife - aged:
46 - occ: Shirtmaker - born: Manchester.   Plus  2
siblings.

Married Emily Marsh 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.

Edwin and his wife - Emily 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.

Edwin and his wife 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.  Edwin and his
wife had been at relatives and when the raid began
and 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, the daughter of the above,  died on the
19th June 2016 - aged: 95. She was the daughter
who walked home to find that her parents in
Woodstock Road had been killed on the night of
22nd/23rd December 1940.

CWD Report No. 53.   Died as a result of blast at
29 Woodstock Road, Firswood, Stretford, from where
his body was recovered at 13.30 hrs on the 23rd
December 1940 and taken to the City Road Mortuary,
Old Trafford.  His body was identified by his son
- Edwin Wood, 26 Clarence Street, Brooks's Bar, to
whom it was released for burial.   Described as
being 5 feet 5 inches in height.

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

His wife - Emily Wood, was also killed in this
incident.

CWGC - Husband of Emily Wood. Died at 29 Woodstock
Road.

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 airaid
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.


District:
Stretford (Trafford MBC)
Memorials found on:
C.W.G.C.
Stretford WW2 Book
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