WOOD – Thomas Reader Russel
67642 – Thomas Reader Russel Wood – F/O – Pilot – 115 sqn – Welington – KIA 3.6.1942
WOOD Initials: T R Nationality: British Guiana Rank: Pilot Officer Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force
Sunday Guardian 14 June 1942:- PO T R Wood, son of the Hon’ble B R Wood of British Guiana, reported missing after Bremen raid on night June 4/5 1942. Sometime during Oct/Nov last year (1941), he injured his shoulder when forced to bail out after petrol supply ran out.
Possibly this Officer: WOOD, THOMAS READER RUSSELL Initials: T R R Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Flying Officer (Pilot) Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Unit Text: 115 Sqdn.Date of Death: 03/06/1942 Service No: 67642 Additional information: Wellington X3635 Airborne 2300 3 Jun 42 from Marham. Cause of loss and crash-site are not established. Four of those killed are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, but F/O Wood is buried in Becklingen War Cemetery. F/O T.R.R.Wood KIA Sgt J.W.Chapman RNZAF KIA Sgt L.J.Howe KIA Sgt M.J.M.Davies KIA P/O H.B.Pearce PoW Sgt B.F.Wischusen KIA P/O H.B.Pearce was interned in Camp L3, PoW No.556.Notice of award of DFC Gazetted London Gazeette 36108_3383/4 on 23 Jul 1943. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: 26. G. 12.Cemetery: BECKLINGEN WAR CEMETERY
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D.F.C., London Gazette, 27 July, 1943. The following recommendation was supplied to his father by the Air Ministry in a letter : ‘Pilot Officer Thomas Reader Russell Wood (67642) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve No. 115 Squadron (deceased), awarded with effect from 3rd June 1942. This officer has completed numerous sorties on which he has acted as captain of aircraft on 24 occasions. He has attacked a wide variety of important enemy targets such as Hanover, Mannheim, Cologne, Lubeck, Rostock and Essen.
On 12 August 1941 P/O Wood was captain of a Wellington bomber, one of 7 aircraft that left for a raid on Essen in the Ruhr. His aircraft bombed the target and on the way back was attacked by a German fighter and shot down over Scottow, Norfolk. All the crew escaped with slight bruises except Sergeant Evans, Rear Gunner, who was killed
27/28 August 1941 Pilot Officer Wood was forced to leave his aircraft by parachute. He descended safely but suffered a broken shoulder. He recommenced operational flying some 6 months later.
June 10th, 2018 at 8:12 pmDuring the period 2nd April, 1942 to 1st June, 1942, he completed numerous operations against some of the most heavily defended targets in Germany. For the raid on Cologne on the night of 30th May, 1942, his crew was selected for special photographic work. During the latter period of operations many successful night photographs have been taken. Pilot Officer Wood is a skilful and courageous leader.’