Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Engine Room Artificer 1st Class A. E. Wood, Royal Naval Reserve

1914-15 Star (E.C.81 E.R.A., R.N.R.); British War and Victory Medals (81E.C. E.R.A.1, R.N.R.); Royal Naval Reserve L.S. & G.C., G.V.R., 2nd issue, fixed suspension (E.D.11 E.R.A., R.N.R.) very fine and better (4) £80-100

Albert Wood was born in Newport, Monmouthshire on 24 July 1880. A Fitter and Turner by occupation and a member of the 2nd Volunteer Battalion South Wales Borderers, he attested for one years’ service with the Colours in South Africa, serving there, March-August 1901. On 11 July 1904 he enlisted in the Royal Naval Reserve. With the start of the Great War he was called up. He was assigned to the armed merchant cruiser H.M.S. Alsatian which formed part of the 10th Cruiser Squadron, being deployed on the northern patrol. In the Autumn of 1915 Wood was transferred to H.M.S. Greenfly, one of the ‘Fly’ Class gunboats in Mesopotamia. The vessel formed part of the Tigris Flotilla. In February 1916 he transferred to H.M.S. Stonefly. In July of that year he was admitted to hospital suffering from the effects of the heat and was later invalided to India and thence home to England. While on route home he contracted malaria. Recovering, he later served at home on the Admiralty whaler Rightwhale. He was discharged on 22 April 1919.

With copied Army and Navy service papers and other research.