Lance Corporal Roland F Wood

Roland Fabian Wood, son of Arthur Cornelius Wood and Mary Wood, of Dagenham, Essex, enlisted into the Essex Regiment.

He volunteered for airborne forces while abroad and did his parachute jump training at Kabrit and was posted to The 10th Parachute Battalion (10th Para Bn).

Lance Corporal Wood jumped into Arnhem on the second lift on 18 September 1944 as part of Motar Platoon, Support Company. His gun crew were tasked with firing at armoured vehicles of the SS KG Junghans.L/cpl Wood was part of Sgt Clifford’s gun crew which also contained Pte Lakey and two others. The other gun was commanded by Sgt Harmes.

As the first salvoes of mortars was released from these two teams, Sgt Clifford suddenly became aware of the danger of overhanging branches above his gun which posed a threat from their own mortar shells potentially exploding just above them. He called a cease fire and whilst attempting to remove the branches, their position and mortar guns received a direct hit from German mortars.

As a result, Pte Lakey was killed outright and Sgt Clifford and L/Cpl Wood were very seriously wounded. They were both taken back to the Regimental Aid Post, just behind their position, by Sgt Harmes and two of his team. L/Cpl Wood was to die later that day followed by Sgt Clifford the next day.

L/Cpl Wood died on 19 September 1944, aged 23 years old, his first burial was alongside Wekeromseweg, northwest of the La Cabine Pumping Station. He is now buried at Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Arnhem.

Headstone image by Bob Hilton