BORN HULL 29/01/1881. SON OF GEORGE WOODHEAD (1854-1927) & ANNIE WHITFIELD (1856-1943), OF 2 HOLBORN TERRACE, HODGSON STREET, HULL. HE WENT TO SEA ON 10/05/1900, AGED 19. WORKED AS A FITTER AT ARGYLL MILLS, HULL. DESCRIBED AS DARK HAIR, HAZEL EYES, SALLOW COMPLEXION, THREE SCARS ON THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD AND TATTOOS ON FOREARM. SERVED IN THE ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE. WAS REPORTED WOUNDED ON 06/08/1915. WORKED AS A STOKER ON THE STEAM TRAWLER, “EXPEDIENT”. LOST AT SEA, IN THE NORTH SEA, ON 27/03/1917, AGED 37. HE LEFT £259 IN HIS WILL, TO OLGA WILLIAMS, WIFE OF PHILIP WILLIAMS.
HIS WIFE ANNIE LIVED AT 7 ALPHA AVENUE, NORNABELL STREET, HULL (NAVAL RECORDS & PROBATE ADDRESS). HE IS COMMEMORATED ON THE CHATHAM NAVAL MEMORIAL AND LISTED ON HULL’S ST MARKS CHURCH MEMORIAL. HIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS PRINTED IN THE HULL DAILY MAIL ON THE 13TH AUGUST 1915. *
HIS BROTHER, ALBERT WOODHEAD, SERVED IN THE ARMY SERVICE CORPS, IN FRANCE.
Expedient, built by Mackie & Thomson, Govan in 1893 and owned at the time of her loss by Great Northern Steamship Fishing Co. Ltd., Hull, was a British trawler of 145 tons. On March 28th, 1917, Expedient was scuttled by the German submarine UC-75 (Johannes Lohs), in the North Sea. The crew was ordered to the lifeboats, but none were seen again. 10 persons were lost.
CREW LOST ON EXPEDIENT (H219), enemy action, North Sea, 27th March, 1917.
ADAMS, John (19), 12 Ivy Grove, Rugbt St. Cook
ASKEY, Henry (55), 158 Somerset St, Hull. Mate
BEE, George (29), 6 Thorsby-ave, Flinton St, Hull. 2nd/Engineer
ELLIS, Benjamin (52), Address not traced. Skipper
HENDERSON, George (31), 89 Westbourne St, Hull. 3rd/Hand
HILL, Daniel (21), 6 Salford-ave, Manchester St, Hull. Fireman
JACKSON, J (50), 15 Newbridge Road, Hull. 4th/Hand
TOWNEND, Charles (50), 17 Westbourne St, Hull. Bosun
WATSON, John (57), 38 Whitty St, Hull. Chief Engineer
WOODHEAD, Thomas (37), 7 Alpha Terrace, Nornabell St, Hull. Stoker 1st Class
