Evelyn Wood (British Army officer)

Infobox Military Person
name=Sir Evelyn Wood
lived=1838-1919


caption=
nicknames=
placeofbirth=Braintree, Essex
placeofdeath=
allegiance=United Kingdom
branch=British Army
serviceyears=
rank=Field Marshal
unit=
commands=
battles=Crimean War, Indian Mutiny, Ashanti War, Anglo-Zulu War, First Boer War, Battle of Gennis
awards=VC, GCB, GCMG
relations=
laterwork=Constable of the Tower of London

Field Marshal Sir Henry Evelyn Wood VC GCB GCMG (9 February 1838 - 2 December 1919) was a British Field Marshal and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

Wood was born in Braintree, Essex as the fifth and youngest son of Sir John Page Wood, 2nd Baronet, and an elder brother of Katherine Parnell. Sir Matthew Wood, 1st Baronet, was his grandfather. His uncle was Lord Chancellor William Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley. He was educated at Marlborough College.

Military career

Wood served as a midshipman in the Crimean War during the siege of Sebastopol. Seriously wounded in an attack on the Redan, Wood was mentioned in dispatches. He then left the Royal Navy to join the British Army, becoming a cornet in the 13th Light Dragoons and then a lieutenant in the 17th Lancers. In India, he saw action at Rajghur, Sindwaho, Kharee, and Barode during the Indian Mutiny.

On 19 October 1858 during an action at Sinwaho, twenty-year-old Lieutenant Wood of the 17h Lancers was in command of a troop of light cavalry, and attacked almost single-handed a body of rebels, whom he routed. At Sindhora, with the help of a daffadar and a sowar, he rescued a local merchant from a band of robbers who had taken their captive into the jungle, where they intended to hang him. For this, Wood was awarded the Victoria Cross. [LondonGazette |issue=22419 |date=1860-09-04 |startpage=3257 |endpage= |supp= |accessdate=2008-04-13] [cite web |url=http://www.historynet.com/historical_figures/3698686.html?showAll=y&c=y |title=Henry Evelyn Wood |author=Martin J. Hadwen |publisher="Military History" magazine, April 1994 (reprinted on historynet.com) |accessdate=2007-12-29]

In 1861, Wood was promoted to captain and in 1862, he became a brevet major in the 73rd Highlanders ( [73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot] ). In 1865, he left the infantry for the cavalry again. After a stint as an aide-de-camp in Dublin, Wood was given a staff position until 1871, when he became a full major in the 90th Foot. In 1867, he married Mary Pauline Southwell, the sister of the 4th Viscount Southwell.

In 1873, Wood was promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel and in 1874, he served in the Ashanti War. Until 1878, Wood was a member of the staff at Aldershot.

General officer

In January 1879, he took part in the Anglo-Zulu War and was given command of the left column of the army that crossed the Zulu frontier, and shortly afterwards he received the local rank of brigadier ­general. Defeated at Hlobane, he recovered and decisively beat the Zulus at Kambula and also took part in the final battle at Ulundi.

At the close of the war, Evelyn Wood became a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and was appointed to command the Chatham district. With the First Boer War going on, Wood was sent back to South Africa in January 1881 with the local rank of major­ general. He remained in Natal until February 1882, was awarded the Order of St Michael and St George and then returned to the Chatham command.

Wood was given command of a brigade in the Egyptian expedition. He was made Sirdar of the Egyptian army until 1885, during which period he thoroughly reorganized it. He commanded the British at the Battle of Gennis. In 1886, he was allowed to return to Britain, promoted to lieutenant-general in 1891, Wood was given the Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath. He saw further service as quartermaster-general at the War Office and as adjutant-general.

Promoted to full general in 1895, Wood commanded the II Army Corps and Southern Command from 1901 to 1904. On 8 April 1903, Sir Evelyn Wood was promoted field marshal. That same year, he was also awarded the freedom of the Borough of Chelmsford. In 1907, he became colonel of the Royal Horse Guards. He was also a governor of Gresham's School from 1899 to 1919.

After retiring from active service, Sir Evelyn Wood VC became chairman of the Association for the City of London, and on 11 March 1911 he was appointed Constable of the Tower of London. In 1913 Wood was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (GCB). [LondonGazette |issue=28749 |date=1913-08-22 |startpage=6075 |endpage= |supp=yes|accessdate=2008-04-13]

Wood was buried with full military honours in the Military Cemetery at Aldershot in Hampshire. His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum "(Chelsea, England)".

ee also

*Page Wood Baronets

References

*Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
*The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
*"One Hundred Terms at Gresham's School" by J.R. Eccles (1934)

External links

* [http://www.homeusers.prestel.co.uk/stewart/hampshir.htm Location of grave and VC medal] "(Hampshire)"

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