SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
"WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"

Private THOMAS WOOD.

386 4th Bn, Yorkshire Regiment.

who died, aged 25, on the 3rd May 1915.

Son of Thomas and Christiana Wood of 137 High St, Skelton, N Yorkshire.


Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium.


Pte Wood, age 24, is one of the men on this photograph taken at the Annual Camp at Redcar, N Yorks, in August 1913. [Second from right back is Fred Appleton]. The message Tom sent at the time is below.

At the census of 1901 Thomas, aged 11, was living at 137 High St, one of the Estate Houses for Home Farm.
He had been born in Skelton and his father was a Shepherd from Borrowby Yorks.
His mother came from Helperby Yorks and they had 6 other children, which was not unusual for those times.
William 18 and Elizabeth born in Coxwold.
Mary 9, Minnie 6, Amy 4 and Edward 1 all born in Skelton.

The 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment were formed in August 1914 in Northallerton.
They became part of the 150th Brigade, 50th (Northumbrian) Division.
After landing at Boulogne on the 16th April 1915, the Division took part in most of the actions on the Western Front.
The Division fought in the Battle of St Julien 24th April to the 4th May in the Second Ypres campaign.
Thomas Wood was killed in action at this time and was among the first casualties, suffered by the 4th Battalion.
The Menin Gate bears the names of around 55,000 UK and Commonwealth men who died in the Ypres battles and have no known grave.