John Percy Wood, one of sixteen children, from Slip End, nr. Luton  enlisted as a volunteer  aged 18 and joined Lord Kitcheners Army   on the 26th May 1915 at Luton, he was assigned Army number 2219, he undertook a medical examination, to test his fitness for active service, at Wardown Park Hospital and was judged as good.

He was assigned to the 2nd/5th Staffordshire Royal Field Artillery Battery, 2/3rd  North Midland Artillery Brigade, he undertook his training at Biscot Huts, an Army Camp near to Biscot Mill, Luton.

He was later posted as a Driver in the Royal Field Artillery, this position entailed driving a team of six horses pulling a limber carrying ammunition  and a gun carriage which fired 18 pound shells operated by a Gunner.

After his training was complete he was posted to France with his regiment on 11th September  1915.

He was to spend over 3 years on active service in France, seeing action at the Battle of Ypres, and  the Somme,  here he witnessed the most appalling fighting ever experienced.

He received gunshot wounds to the back and was admitted to a field hospital on 29th September 1918, where he recovered.

He later returned to active service with his regiment.

The Armistice- an agreement to stop fighting- was signed between France , Britain and Germany on 11th November 1918 at 11am (French Time) the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

He was demobilized from War service on the 21st January 1919 after 3years 132 days in France,  and was later awarded the  following Medals.

1914 –1915 Star for service overseas.

1914 – 1918 British War Medal.

1914 – 1919 Victory Medal.

Each medal is engraved 2219  Dvr R.F.A   J.P.Wood

He was lucky, he returned home, but never spoke much about his experiences to his family, and his grandson who compiled this story. It was too horrific to tell.

 His cousin Bertram Wood also from Slip End,  was captured in the Cambrai sector in March 1918 and in consequence of hardships and ill-treatment received in his captivity died as a prisoner of war in Germany on October 18th 1918.