James Park Woods
James Park Woods | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Jimmy |
Born | Two Wells, South Australia | 4 January 1886
Died | 18 January 1963 Nedlands, Western Australia | (aged 77)
Buried | |
Allegiance | Australia |
Service/ | Australian Imperial Force |
Years of service | 1916–1919 |
Rank | Private |
Unit | 48th Battalion |
Battles/wars | World War I |
Awards | Victoria Cross |
Other work | Vigneron |
James Park Woods VC (4 January 1886 – 18 January 1963) was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross during World War I; the Victoria Cross was the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that could be awarded to members of the Australian armed forces at the time. Woods enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force in September 1916 and, after training in Australia and the United Kingdom, joined his unit, the 48th Battalion, in France in September 1917. Along with the rest of his battalion, he participated in the First Battle of Passchendaele the following month. In early 1918, Woods was hospitalised for several months before rejoining his unit in May. He again reported sick in July, and did not return to the 48th Battalion until mid-August.
On 18 September 1918, the 48th Battalion was involved in the
Early life
James Park "Jimmy" Woods was born at Two Wells, South Australia, on 4 January 1886,[a] the son of a blacksmith, James Woods, and his wife Ester née Johnson. After his mother's death when he was seven, Woods was raised by a stepsister and, after completing his schooling, worked in a vineyard alongside his brothers. Not long after World War I broke out in 1914, he attempted to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), but was rejected due to his height of 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm). He and his brother Will then moved to Western Australia and for the next two years worked in cartage and fencing in the Kantanning district before James became a viticulturist at Caversham in the Swan Valley wine region near Perth. He was also an enthusiastic cricketer in his younger years. After further unsuccessful attempts to join the AIF, he was eventually successful on 29 September 1916, after height requirements had been lowered.[1][2][4]
World War I
1916–1917
Following his enlistment as a private, Woods was allotted as a reinforcement to the 48th Battalion, a mixed South Australian-Western Australian unit, part of the 12th Brigade, 4th Division. It was already serving on the Western Front in France and Belgium. After two months training at Blackboy Hill, Woods embarked with the rest of his reinforcement draft on HMAS Berrima at Fremantle on 23 December 1916. He disembarked at Devonport in the UK on 16 February 1917, and joined the 12th Training Battalion at Codford on Salisbury Plain. During this training period, he was hospitalised with mumps and then with bronchitis and pneumonia. Recovered, he completed his training, embarked at Southampton for France, and joined the 48th Battalion on 12 September.[2][4][5]
At the time Woods joined the battalion, it was undergoing training and absorbing reinforcements in a rest area at Zuytpeene. On 21 September, the battalion was collected by buses and transported over several days via Steenvoorde to the vicinity of Ypres in Belgium. There the 12th Brigade relieved other units of the 4th Division that had participated in the Battle of Polygon Wood and took up support positions. During this period its main tasks were battlefield salvage and digging graves for recently killed Germans and Australians. Despite these non-combat tasks, the battalion suffered several casualties from German artillery fire. The 48th Battalion was relieved from these positions on 1 October, and occupied trenches at Westhoek Ridge overnight before returning to Steenvoorde.[6]
After a week at Steenvoorde, Woods' battalion marched to
1918
On 8 January 1918, the 48th Battalion marched to Péronne and, travelling by train and on foot, arrived in Belgium where they entered the front line trenches near
By September 1918, the Allies were in the midst of the
Woods was a member of a four-man patrol sent on Leane's orders to make contact with the British. Instead of finding British troops, they located a strongly defended German position with excellent fields of fire. While an attack in force on the position was being organised, Woods led the patrol against the German defenders. Woods killed one German, and at least thirty others fled, leaving behind four heavy and two light
The 4th Division was then relieved and went to the rear to rest,[20] and the brigade did not return to combat before the Armistice of 11 November 1918.[21] Woods' VC citation was published on Christmas Eve 1918, and read:[22]
For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty near Le Verguier, north-west of St. Quentin, on the 18th September, 1918, when, with a weak patrol, he attacked and captured a very formidable enemy post, and subsequently, with two comrades, held the same against heavy enemy counterattacks. Although exposed to heavy fire of all descriptions, he fearlessly jumped on the parapet and opened fire on the attacking enemy, inflicting severe casualties. He kept up his fire and held up the enemy until help arrived, and throughout the operations displayed a splendid example of valour, determination and initiative.
— The London Gazette – 24 December 1918
Woods' VC was the only one awarded to a member of the 48th Battalion.[23] He received the decoration from King George V at Buckingham Palace on 31 May 1919.[24] Woods embarked aboard the troop ship SS Königin Luise on 21 June, arrived back in Fremantle in early August, and was discharged from the AIF the following month.[25][26]
Later life
On his return to civilian life, Woods bought and operated a vineyard and orchard in the Swan Valley. He married Olive Adeline Wilson at the Caversham Methodist Church on 30 April 1921. The couple had seven children: four sons and three daughters. James suffered from poor health as a result of his gassing and chest infections during his service, and in 1937 retired on a full pension, expected to only live a few more years. The family moved to
Woods died on 18 January 1963 in the
As well as the Victoria Cross, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service in World War I,[30] Woods was later awarded the King George VI Coronation Medal and Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal. His medal set, including his Victoria Cross, was presented to the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, and is displayed in the Hall of Valour.[31] The Victoria Cross is the pre-eminent award for gallantry in the armed services and since 1991 the Victoria Cross for Australia has been awarded in the Australian honours system.[32]
Notes
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d Staunton 2005, p. 185.
- ^ a b c d e Higgins 1990.
- ^ Genealogy SA 2018.
- ^ a b Blanch & Pegram 2018, p. 298.
- ^ National Archives 2018, pp. 5, 7–9.
- ^ Devine 1919, p. 93.
- ^ Devine 1919, pp. 95–104.
- ^ Bean 1937, pp. 923–926.
- ^ Devine 1919, pp. 105–106.
- ^ National Archives 2018, pp. 7 & 15.
- ^ Devine 1919, pp. 133 & 142–144.
- ^ National Archives 2018, p. 15.
- ^ Bean 1942, pp. 904–909.
- ^ Bean 1942, pp. 917–918 & 921–924.
- ^ Bean 1942, pp. 925–928.
- ^ Blanch & Pegram 2018, pp. 298–299.
- ^ Wigmore & Harding 1986, pp. 130–131.
- ^ Bean 1942, pp. 930–931.
- ^ Brazier 2010, p. 285.
- ^ Bean 1942, p. 935.
- ^ Devine 1919, pp. 153–157.
- ^ The London Gazette 24 December 1918.
- ^ Australian War Memorial 2018a.
- ^ Wigmore & Harding 1986, p. 131.
- ^ National Archives 2018, pp. 16 & 30.
- ^ Jarrett 2014.
- ^ Blanch & Pegram 2018, p. 299.
- ^ Madden 2018, p. 304.
- ^ Hollywood Private Hospital 2018.
- ^ National Archives 2018, p. 35.
- ^ Australian War Memorial 2018b.
- ^ "The Victoria Cross for Australia". Department of Defence. Australian Government. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
References
Books
- OCLC 216975066.
- Bean, C. E. W. (1942). The Australian Imperial Force in France: May 1918 – The Armistice. Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918. Vol. 6 (1 ed.). Sydney, New South Wales: Angus & Robertson. OCLC 830564565.
- Blanch, Craig; Pegram, Aaron (2018). For Valour: Australians Awarded the Victoria Cross. Sydney, New South Wales: NewSouth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-74223-542-4.
- Brazier, Kevin (2010). The Complete Victoria Cross. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-84884-150-5.
- Devine, W. (1919). The Story of a Battalion: Being a Record of the 48th Battalion, A.I.F. Melbourne, Victoria: Melville & Mullen. OCLC 3854185.
- Madden, Michael (2018). The Victoria Cross, Australia Remembers. Melbourne, Victoria: Big Sky Publishing. ISBN 978-1-925520-98-9.
- Staunton, Anthony (2005). Victoria Cross. Prahran, Victoria: Hardie Grant. ISBN 978-1-74273-486-6.
- ISBN 978-0-642-99471-4.
News and gazettes
- Jarrett, Ian (21 April 2014). "Tale of two ships". The West Australian. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
- "No. 31082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 December 1918. p. 15119.
Websites
- "48th Australian Infantry Battalion". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- "A History of Caring". Hollywood Private Hospital. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
- Higgins, Matthew (1990). "Woods, James Park (1886–1963)". ISSN 1833-7538. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- "NAA: B2455, Woods J P". National Archives of Australia. 1914–1920. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
- "Victoria Cross: Private J P Woods, 48 Battalion, AIF". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
- "Woods, James Parks". Genealogy SA. Retrieved 26 October 2018.