Clarence was born in Tunbridge Wells on 1st January 1894, the youngest child of William and Alice Wood. William married Alice Agate on 7th February 1874 at St Peter’s in Brighton. He was almost 20 years her senior. Over the following 20 years Alice gave birth to 13 children, sadly, on the 1911 census it was noted that only 6 were still living.
At the time of the 1881 census, William and Alice are living in Portslade just a few miles west of Brighton. William is recorded as a Farmer of 110 Acres, employing two labourers and 1 boy on the steam engine and a further 2 men and 3 boys. However, by 1891 they have moved nearer to Eastbourne and William is now a Poulterer.
The family had moved to Welling Place, Welling by the time Clarence began at Foster’s school on 15th August 1899 (his year of birth incorrectly recorded as 1895)– then readmitted on 30th April 1900, once 6 years old. He moved on to the Upper School in April 1902.
The 1911 Census shows the family have moved to 6 Church Road in Welling. William is now 72 and has no occupation; Alice is 58 and shown “at home”. The only children living at home now are Alice, aged 27 and Clarence who is 17 years old, both of them working on a farm.
Clarence served with the 8th City of London (Post Office Rifles). This regiment served with distinction in the Great War. They arrived in France on 18th March 1915 and by the end of the war 1,800 men from the Post Office Rifles would be dead and a further 4,500 would be wounded.
Clarence was Killed in Action on the 30th October 1917, aged 23 (although the Commonwealth War Graves Commission lists him as 24). An extract from “the History of the Post Office Rifles” (initially published in 1919):
“On 28th October, a sudden order was given to the Battalion to attack on the night of 29/30 October along with a company from 2/6th Londons to support the main attack by the Canadians on Passchendaele Ridge.”
“The state of the ground was awful. There had been days of rain and the duck-boards were several hundred yards short of the outpost line. Aerial photos showed the ground to be like a vast morass of mud and slime. In places little progress could be made, men sunk up to their arm-pits and provided easy targets for the enemy. Remarkably 500 yards advance was made in places but most of this had to be evacuated by night (on the 30th). Of four objectives, only one, Nobles Farm, was held overnight.”
“Casualties were severe. The Post Office Rifles lost 5 Officers and 34 Other Ranks killed. 173 ORs were missing, many of whom drowned in the mud. 42 ORs were recovered wounded.”
Clarence is buried in the Cement House Cemetery in Belgium. In his Will, Clarence left his father, William, the sum of £113-5s-7d.
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This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to Clarence Ernest Charles Wood, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.