Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookin the Artillery or Royal Engineers. He was fatally wounded, when leading his company at St. Eloi on 15 March, 1915, after his Commanding Officer, Col. Forbes, had been wounded at Cross Roads, and died at No. 2 Clearing Hospital, Bailleul, on Friday the 19th. He was buried in the military portion of the cemetery there on Tuesday morning the 23rd; _unm._ Writing to his father the Acting Adjutant, Lieut. T. E. H. Taylor, said: "Two motives prompt me in writing to you concerning the death of your son, 2nd Lieut. F. M. Wookey. One is that I wish to do so in my official position as Adjutant (Acting) of this battn. and the other is that I wish to tell you how proud I am of the perfect coolness and gallantry with which your son advanced with his men, up that fir-swept street of St. Eloi, until he was wounded. In common with all old Campbell College boys, I am proud to be able to say I was a schoolfellow of your son's. Your son was with "C" Coy.--Commanded by Major Lillie with another subaltern, called Gordon-Ralph. In the hurried rush into the village of St. Eloi, under a very heavy fire, our companies got very scattered. Major Lillie collected some of his company, and advanced to the assault. Your son, also, got together as many as he could, and went, at the head of his men, straight for the barrier held by the Germans. Our assault had to be made, straight up the street, in the face of a deadly fire from rifles and machine-guns, both in front and on our right flank. I was with the Commanding Officer, and helped him to a place of safety when he was wounded, during which time the assault had advanced further up the street. When I returned from carrying Col. Forbes back to safety, I found that the assault had been checked by the enemy's fire. We had then reached to within 30 yards of the enemy's barricades, but all in front had been either killed or wounded, and those who could do so proceeded to occupy the houses on both sides of the street. In this first rush Major Lillie was killed--also Lieuts. Fottrell and Ford, and your son was severely wounded--evidently by machine-gun fire--in the legs. I did not see him, myself, but this was reported to me by a survivor who returned, and had seen your son fall. No one could get up to the killed and wounded, as the Germans kept up a heavy fire, and, by means of their flare lights, they could see the slightest move on our part. Just before dawn, on the 15th, some men who had got into a ruined house just opposite where your son fell, were able to get to him, and brought him in from the street behind the end of the house. He was then safe from the enemy's fire. The poor fellow lay there all that day--no one could get back from that place with him. Next day the Germans allowed us to take back some of our wounded, and we brought him in to the dressing station, from where he was sent to No. 2 Clearing Hospital, Bailleul. I spoke to him, while he was being carried in, asked him how he felt, and he answered, in his quiet, cheery way, "These are great lads, to bring me back now." He did not seem to be in any pain at all, in spite of one of his ankles being completely severed by the machine-gun fire. I went back later, to the dressing station to see him, and found that all his wounds had been dressed, and that he was sleeping peacefully on a stretcher. The doctors feared that the shock of his wounds would prove fatal, but hoped for the best. That was the last I saw of your son. I can realise what his loss means to you, and all his family. Our present Commanding Officer has asked me to try and express to you how very much we all sympathise with you in your sad bereavement. His death has been a most noble one. His example, which he set to the men who followed him that night, to almost certain death, was one of the features of the fight of which all of us are most proud." [Illustration: =Frederick M. Wookey.=] =WOOLF, NATHAN=, Rifleman, No. 2520, 17th Battn. (Poplar and Stepney Rifles) The London Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of Morris Woolf, of 14, Lincoln Street, Bow, E.; _b._ Commercial Road, E., 5 Aug. 1894; educ. Jews' Free School, Birmingham; joined the week after mobilisation; served with the Expeditionary Force in France, and was killed in action at Loos, 17 Sept. 1915: _unm._ [Illustration: =Nathan Woolf.=] =WOOLLEY, GEORGE FRANK=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch. 7925, H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =WOOLLEY, WILLIAM ALFRED=, Stoker, 1st Class (R.F.R., Ch. B. 1169), 279527, H.M.S. Aboukir; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =WOOTTEN, ALFRED=, Private, No. 6995, 2nd Battn. Coldstream Guards, _s._ of the late Richard Wootten, of Somersham, by his wife, Rebecca, dau. of James Ruff, of Somersham; _b._ Somersham, co. Hunts, 14 July, 1885; educ. there; enlisted at Lincoln, 23 Oct. 1906, and after serving seven years with the Colours, was transferred to the Army Reserve, 23 Oct. 1913, with "Exemplary" character. On mobilisation he rejoined, 6 Aug. 1914, went to France with the Expeditionary Force, 9 Aug. 1914, and died in No. 4 Clearing Hospital at Braisne, 1 Oct. 1914, from wounds received in action at Troyon, on 29 Sept. during the Battle of the Aisne. Brig.-Gen. H. W. Studd, Coldstream Guards, wrote: "No more faithful, true, and gallant soldier gave his life for his country. He did his duty as a Guardsman and lived and died a Coldstreamer." He _m._ at Stansted, Essex, 10 April, 1909, Florence (3, Gray Street, Manchester Square, W.), dau. of William Perry, of Stanstead, and had two children: Alfred Frank, _b._ 29 Nov. 1911; and Florence Pamela, _b._ 4 March, 1910. [Illustration: =Alfred Wootten.=] =WOOTTON, JAMES FREDERICK=, Seaman, R.N.R., 2522B, H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =WORDSWORTH, ALEXANDER GERALD=, Capt., 2nd Battn. Middlesex Regt., 5th _s._ of the Rev. John Wordsworth, Vicar of Allhallows, Mealsgate, Cumberland, and formerly a Capt. in the same regt., by his wife, Rose Geraldine, dau. of the Rev. Alexander Williams, M.A., Rector of Upcerne, Dorset; _b._ Gosforth Rectory, co. Cumberland, 28 Oct. 1880; educ. Charney Hall, Grange-over-Sands, and Loretto School, Musselburgh; gazetted 2nd Lieut. 2nd Middlesex from the Cumberland Militia, 29 Jan. 1902, and promoted Lieut. 4 May, 1904, and Capt. 6 March, 1912; and was Adjutant, 9 March, 1912, to 9 March, 1914; served in South Africa, 1902, took part in operations in Transvaal, May (Queen's medal with three clasps), and with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders, from 7 Nov. to 6 Dec. 1914, on which day he was killed in action in the trenches near Laventie. Buried in the orchard of a farmhouse, La Flinque, near Laventie; _unm._ [Illustration: =Alexander G. Wordsworth.=] =WORSFOLD, EDWARD=, Private, No. 2385, 2/4th Battn. Queen's Royal West Surrey Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of George Worsfold, of Thorley Cottage, Pyrford, near Woking, Cowman, by his wife, Mary Ann, dau. of Richard Woolger; was a Gardener; _b._ Pyrford af |