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World War 1 One ww1 wwII greatwar great 1914 1918 first battalion regiment
Rflmn. George Henry Woodey
British Army 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade
from:Warrington
(d.9th May 1915)
George Woodey was born in Warrington in 1893. He was the 4th child of Thomas and Ruth Woodey of 89 Catherine Street. As a boy, he attended the Heathside Primary School and attended the services at the Working Mens Mission on the corner of Lilford Street and Hoyle Street (a building which still stands today). By all accounts, he was a keen footballer and played for the Mission team.On the outbreak of the war and at the age of 21 years old, he left his job at the Warrington Wire Rope Works on Bewsey Road and on the 2nd of September 1914 at Warrington Public Baths, he signed up to join the Army. George joined the Rifle Brigade and was entered into the 2nd battalion. His attestation states that he was 5' 3" tall and weighed 106 lbs. (about 7 stone). He had a 35 inch chest which expanded by 2". The following day, 3rd of September1914, he arrived at Winchester Barracks. After a period of training, he was posted to France on the 17th of February 1915, joining the rest of the 2nd Battalion at Estaires.
Between the 10th and 14th of March 1915, he took part in the battle of Neuve Chapelle in which a total of 12 officers and 365 other ranks were killed or wounded in the regiment. The regimental diary states that the remaining men took part in operations to recover the wounded and bury the dead; all of which was completed by the 16th.
April 1915 was spent in various trenches and billets around Sailly-sur-la-Lys carrying out small attacks, resting and repairing and reinforcing the trench systems
Then in the early morning of the 9th of May 1915, George and his fellow soldiers embarked on what, for many of them, would be their last day. The Battle of Aubers Ridge was underway. The bombardment by the British artillery opened up at around 05:30 in the morning and many of the shells fell short, killing and wounding many of our own lads. At 05:40, the first line advanced and captured the German trench, followed by the second line of the regiment. Many heavy losses were reported in the regimental diaries at this point. By 08:00, almost all of the company officers were either dead or wounded. Between 12:00 & 14:00 about 50 additional men were sent to reinforce the soldiers in the captured trench, but only about 20 survived the crossing of no-mans land. By 19:50 the Germans counter-attacked but were beaten back, partly due to the commanding officer of the RB using a captured German machine gun to repel them. Another counter-attack at 03:00 on the 10th May forced the British to relinquish the trench and retreat back to their own lines.
At 05:00 on 10th of May, 3 officers and 195 men marched back to their billets. 77 men & 9 officers were dead. 340 men and 18 officers were wounded and 194 men, 9 officers were missing. George Henry Woodey was one of those 194 who were missing, presumed dead.
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