Trafford

Born Emily Marsh, her birth was registered during the December quarter 1897
in the Bury R.D., the daughter of Frank & Jessie Marsh (neé Holland).   
Her grand daughter informs that she was born on the 27th October 1897,
making her 43 years of age at the time of her death.

1901 Census - 44 Nipper Lane, Whitefield, Lancashire.   Daughter - aged: 5
- born: Whitefield.    Head of household - Frank Marsh - Married - aged: 28
- occ: Stone Mason - born: Whitefield.  Also Jessie Marsh - Wife - aged: 28
- born: Manchester.

1911 Census - 3 South Avenue, Whitefield.   Daughter - aged: 13 - Scholar -
born: Whitefield.    Her father was working at Lakoja, Nigeria, that night
and her mother - Jessie Marsh was listed as - Wife - aged: 38 - born:
Hulme, Manchester.  Plus 1 younger sister - Ida, aged: 11 months.
Her father returned fom Nigeria with T.B. and died in 1913.

Her CWD No. 51 (and therefore the CWGC) states that she was around 40 years
of age, but her death registration record wrongly states that she was 60.

Married Edwin Wood at St. Bride's Church, Old Trafford on the 23rd February
1918 which was registered during the March quarter 1918 in the Barton on
Irwell R.D. - ref: 8c/996.

1939 National Registration - 29 Woodstock Road, Firswood, Stretford.  Edwin
Wood - Married - born: 21st March 1893 - occ: Warehouseman - Cotton.  
Emily Wood - Married - born: 27th October 1898 - occ: Unpaid Domestic
Duties.  There are two other entries - one is blocked under the 100 year
rule, the other is Vera Wood (overwritten Vera Richardson) - Single - born:
23rd September 1920 (overwritten 2nd September 1922) - occ: Clerk.

Emily and her husband - Edwin were in their Anderson air raid shelter when
it received a direct hit.   Three Spencer family members residing next door
at No. 27 and were in their own shelter, were also killed in this
incident.

Emily and her husband had instructed their two daughters (Olive b.1920 &
Vera b.1922) to stay wherever they were in the event of an air raid - they
were not to try to get home.   Emily and her husband had been at relatives
and when the raid began Emily insisted that she and Edwin went home "in
case the girls came home."   The 'girls' (their two daughters), survived
because they did as they were told and stayed where they were.  What a
shame Edwin and Emily did not do the same as they had advised their
daughters to do - they would both have survived had they done so.   Olive
was staying with her future brother-in-law's house at Hartington Street,
Moss Side.   Vera, her sister was at her fiancee's house at King's Road,
Stretford and Edwin junior, who was home on leave, was at his then
girlfriend's house at Pickford Street, Stretford.

CWD Report No. 51.    Died as a result of blast at 29 Woodstock Road,
Firswood, Stretford, from where her body was recovered at 13.30 hrs on the
23rd December 1940 and taken to the City Road Mortuary, Old Trafford.  Her
body was identified by her son - Edwin Wood, 26 Clarence Street, Brooks's
Bar, to whom it was released for burial.   Described as being 5 feet 2
inches in height and of heavy build.

Death registered in Stretford Borough.   Buried on 28/12/1940.

Her husband - Edwin Wood, was also killed in this incident.

CWGC - Wife of Edwin Wood. Died at 29 Woodstock Road.

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I am grateful to Edwin's Grand daughter - Janice Wilson, who kindly sent
the following details about her grandparents and their eldset daughter (her
mother) - Olive Wood.

My mother, their only surviving daughter, is now 95 years old. She has told
me about her emotions and feelings about the following day when she walked
home from where she had been the previous night. Her parents had told her
that if an air aid started she was to stay put. A pity my grandparents did
not heed their own advice.  If they had they would not have died that
night.  They had been at relatives and when the raid began my grandmother
insisted that she and Edwin went home "in case the girls came home." The
'girls'....my mother and her sister survived because they did as they were
told and stayed where they were. Fate eh? The house is still standing, the
shelter was obliterated!

A few years ago I went to the house where they died - 29 Woodstock
Road..and saw where the shelter had been. The lady who lived there told me
that several years later, when she was digging foundations for a shed on
the same spot, she found part of a jawbone with a tooth that had a gold
filling.  There had to be a forensic investigation.  It was probably the
jawbone and tooth from my grandfather who did have a gold filling..

Janice has recently found a diary that was kept by her mother- Olive Wood,
during that period.  Unfortunately it was written in Pitman Shorthand and
is awaiting translation.