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Cpl. William Eric Woodward
British Army 52nd Btn. Durham Light Infantry
from:Gawthorne St, New Basford Nottingham
(d.29th June 1919)
About a year ago I decided to pick one name at random from my church war memorial. My objective was to show that there were lives behind each name on our war memorials and that the people they recall continue to be an important part of our history The name I chose was William Eric Woodward (1899-1919). Through research - the census records, assistance from the Durham Light Infantry Museum, war records, the Scouting National archive, tracing his nearest relative etc. I have managed to piece together much of Eric’s short life.
Eric was born in Nottingham in in 1899. His father, a painter and decorator, died when Eric was 8 years old and the census of 1911 confirms that his mother took up this occupation to support Eric and his younger sister Agnes. I traced and met with Eric’s elderly nephew living in Derby whist he never knew his Uncle he was named after him. He kindly loaned me a large archive of scouting photographs once owned by Eric. When I contacted the National Scouting Archive they had no record of this troop as records of scout troops weren't centralised until 1919. It took some research to uncover the history behind these scouting photographs as many showed the boys in Kilts. The photographs detail the formation of the 1st Caledonian Scout troop in Nottingham in May 1909 less than two years after Baden Powell hosted the first camp on Brownsea island. The 1st Caledonian troop was formed in Nottingham for boys of Scottish descent, Eric’s mother was from Newton Mearns. The 1st Caledonian troop adopted the “Hunting Stewart†tartan. With the popularity of scouting by 1912 two other troops had been formed known as the 2nd and 3rd Caledonians, these adopted the Black Watch and Gordon tartans. All three troops were based at the site known as Blackwood in Nottingham where scouting continues to this day. In 1909 Eric joined the 1st Caledonian scouts however by 1915 with older members of the troop enlisting all three troops disbanded. Eric then joined the 24th Nottingham troop who took over the Blackwood site and who remain there to this day. The entrance to the site close to Nottingham’s city hospital is marked with a memorial gateway built in 1927 to commemorate all scouts who died in WW1.
In the early years of the war correspondence confirms that the scouts spent much time taking on the roles of those who had enlisted and activities such guarding the local reservoirs. Leaving school at 16 Eric went to work in the local John Player factory but enlisted in the the East Midlands Brigade of the 273rd Graduated Battalion in 1917. Graduated battalions received recruits under the age of 19. These would have received training in a Young Soldiers Battalion for about four months before gaining another seven or so months of training in a Graduated Battalion. By the time they reached 19, they would then be ready for active service overseas. Eric joined the 52nd Battalion of the Durham Light Infantry which was formed in October 1917 from the 273rd Graduated Battalion.
Eric's home, scout group and church are still there today as his grave marked with a military headstone in Basford cemetery. Corporal W. Eric Woodward, Durham Light Infantry died in Leicester military hospital aged 20 years his name is listed along with 15 others on the Memorial Windows at his church St Andrew's Presbyterian church in Nottingham (now St Andrew’s with Castle Gate Church, Goldsmith Street, Nottingham).
 with members of 24th Nottingham 1915. Baden Powell centre right.jpg)
