James Park Woods

James Park Woods
Private James Woods c. 1918–1919
Born (1886-01-04)4 January 1886
Two Wells, South Australia
Died 18 January 1963(1963-01-18) (aged 77)
Nedlands, Western Australia
Buried Karrakatta Cemetery
Allegiance Australia
Service/branch 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, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces.

Early life

James Park Woods was born at Two Wells, South Australia on 4 January 1886, the son of a blacksmith, James Woods, and his wife Ester née Johnson. Following his parents' deaths he 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, James attempted to enlist in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF), but was rejected due to his height (163 centimetres (5 ft 4 in)). 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 vigneron at Caversham in the Swan Valley wine region. After further unsuccessful attempts to join the AIF, he was successful on 29 September 1916, after height restrictions were lowered.[1]

World War I

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. Following 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 United Kingdom on 16 February 1917, and joined the 12th Training Battalion at Codford on the 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.[1][2]

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 quite a few casualties from enemy artillery fire. The 48th Battalion was relieved from this position on 1 October, and occupied trenches at Westhoek Ridge overnight before returning to Steenvoorde by bus.[3]

After a week at Steenvoorde, the battalion marched to Abeele on 10 October, then entrained for Ypres. That evening it marched to trenches on Westhoek Ridge, where it received orders for a major attack by the division. The First Battle of Passchendaele was fought on 12 October. Despite initial success and the capture of more than 200 Germans, the main attack failed, leaving the left flank of the battalion exposed. The first German counterattack was beaten off, but with its left flank unprotected, the second counterattack pushed the 48th Battalion back to its start line. During the fighting, the unit suffered 370 casualties from its original complement of 621. The battalion was withdrawn from the line and re-united with its nucleus troops, the one-third of each unit that was retained out of the line when a battalion went into action. Thus reinforced, the battalion then went briefly into a support position on Anzac Ridge on 19 October, before being relieved and marching away from Passchendaele for a long period of rest and recuperation. This time was spent first at Cuhem, then Friancourt before finally spending a few weeks at a camp near Péronne, where they spent Christmas Day.[4][5]

On 8 January 1918, the battalion marched to Péronne, and travelling by train and on foot, arrived in Belgium where they entered the front line trenches near Hollebeke on 11 January. The battalion remained in the quiet trenches in cold winter conditions for ten days before being relieved, being mainly engaged on improving the dilapidated defences. On the day after the battalion was relieved and went into the rear area, Woods reported sick, was diagnosed with either bronchitis or pericarditis, and was evacuated to a hospital in Birmingham in the United Kingdom. He did not return to his battalion until 24 May.[6][7]

He continued to struggle with his health and had further periods in hospital, firstly in January 1918 due to pericarditis and later, in July 1918, with dysentery.[8]

By September 1918, the Allies were in the midst of the Hundred Days Offensive. As part of 12th Brigade, 4th Division, the 48th Battalion was advancing near Le Verguier, north-west of St. Quentin when Woods was part of a patrol scouting the location of flanking units. The patrol of four men identified a strongly defended German position with good fields of fire. While an attack in force on the position was being organised, Woods decided to lead his patrol against the German defenders. His foray was successful but then the Australians had to defend several counterattacks until reinforcements arrived. For his work, Woods was recommended for the Victoria Cross (VC).[9] The citation was published on Christmas Eve 1918, and read:

For conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty near Le Verguier, north-west of St. Quentin, on 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[10]

Woods' VC was the first to be awarded to a member of 48th Battalion.[9] He survived the war, arrived back in Fremantle aboard the troop ship SS Königin Luise in August 1919, and was discharged from the AIF the following month.[8][11]

Later life

On his return to civilian life, Woods operated a vineyard and orchard in Swan Valley, Western Australia. Married in 1921 to Olive Wilson, the couple had seven children. He still suffered from poor health and in 1937 retired on a full pension. In his retirement he was involved with the Returned Sailors', Soldiers' and Airmen's Imperial League of Australia and in 1956, went to England to attend the VC centenary. [12]

Woods died on 18 January 1963 in the Repatriation General Hospital, Hollywood in Nedlands and is buried in Karrakatta Cemetery. He was survived by his wife and six children; his oldest son was killed in action during the Second World War.[12] A ward at the Repatriation General Hospital, now known as the Hollywood Private Hospital, is named in his honour.[13] His Victoria Cross is held by the Australian War Memorial, in Canberra.[14]

Notes

  1. 1 2 Higgins 1990.
  2. ↑ National Archives 2018, pp. 5, 7–9.
  3. ↑ Devine 1919, p. 93.
  4. ↑ Devine 1919, pp. 95–104.
  5. ↑ Bean 1937a, pp. 923–926.
  6. ↑ Devine 1919, pp. 105–106.
  7. ↑ National Archives 2018, p. 7.
  8. 1 2 "James Park Woods". The AIF Project. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  9. 1 2 Wigmore & Harding 1986, pp. 168–170.
  10. ↑ "No. 31082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 December 1918. p. 15119.
  11. ↑ Jarrett, Ian (21 April 2014). "Tale of two ships". The West Australian. Retrieved 31 December 2015.
  12. 1 2 Higgins 1990, p. 564.
  13. ↑ "Our Hospital: A History of Caring". Hollywood Private Hospital. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  14. ↑ "Victoria Cross". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 14 September 2014.

References

  • "48th Australian Infantry Battalion". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  • Bean, C.E.W. (1937a). The Australian Imperial Force in France, 1917. Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918. 4 (5 ed.). Sydney, New South Wales: Angus & Robertson. OCLC 216975066.
  • Bean, C.E.W. (1937b). The Australian Imperial Force in France, during the Main German Offensive, 1918. Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918. 5 (1 ed.). Sydney, New South Wales: Angus & Robertson. OCLC 17648469.
  • 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. 6 (1 ed.). Sydney, New South Wales: Angus & Robertson. OCLC 830564565.
  • Devine, W. (1919). The Story of a Battalion: Being a Record of the 48th Battalion, A.I.F. Melbourne, Victoria: Melville & Mullen. OCLC 3854185.
  • Higgins, Matthew (1990). "Woods, James Park (1886–1963)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Melbourne University Press. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  • "NAA: B2455, Woods J P". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
  • Staunton, Anthony (2005). Victoria Cross. Prahran, Victoria: Hardie Grant. ISBN 978-1-74273-486-6.
  • Wigmore, Lionel; Harding, Bruce A. (1986). They Dared Mightily. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian War Memorial. ISBN 978-0-642-99471-4.
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