Born Hull 1896. Son of William and Mary Wood, of 25, Havelock Street, Hessle Road., Hull. He was lost at sea, on the minesweeper ‘Robert Smith’, on 20/07/1917, aged 21.
His death was reported in the Hull Daily Mail, on 11/08/1917, with his photograph and on 21/07/1919. *
HMT Robert Smith, built by Alexander Hall & Co. Ltd., Aberdeen in 1915 and operated at the time of her loss by Royal Navy, was a British navy trawler of 211 tons. On July 21st, 1917, HMT Robert Smith was sunk by gunfire by the German submarine U-44 (Paul Wagenführ). All hands, 25 in total were killed.
HULL PEOPLE ON BOARD HMT ‘ROBERT SMITH’
TUCKER, EDWARD STANLEY (25), Deck Hand (no. 7763DA), Son of C. and R. Tucker, of 433A, Hessle Road., Hull, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial
WOOD, JOHN WILLIAM (21), Deck Hand (no. 9735DA), H.M. Trawler Robert Smith, Royal Naval Reserve, 20/07/1917, Son of William and Mary Wood, of 25, Havelock St., Hessle Rd., Hull, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial.
