Lt William Francis Woods

RAF 113 SQUADRON

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Lt William Woods (left)

Note Observers badge and new style RAF uniforms

William Francis Woods was the first son of three to Harold and Margaret Woods, who were Lancastrians and who lived all of their lives in Lancashire, mostly near Liverpool at Sefton and Ormskirk. The family had been originally brewers but some of them later worked on the Liverpool Corn Exchange, [which went down in flames unfortunately in the `29/31 period that affected so much of the world], and in shipping out of Liverpool. William had two brothers, Albert and Joseph. William was born in 1896, Albert in 1897 and Joseph in 1908. William worked as a car salesman after leaving school up to the outbreak of the 1914 -18 War.

William and Albert enlisted in the Liverpool `Pals' regiment at the start of the war. Albert was killed on the 1st July 1916 at the battle of the Somme, buried at Montauban, Picardy and although the grave was destroyed and lost through the constant ravages of the war, he is listed in the memorial at Thiepval [which was later built to the design of the architect Edwin Lutyens] William was later wounded in the leg and repatriated to the UK. On his recovery he transferred to the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and after his initial training travelled by train with his squadron through France to Italy where they awaited transport, by ship presumably, to Egypt [Alexandria ?].

He flew in Palestine as an Observer but later trained and qualified as a pilot. He served in 113 Squadron. We have found maps in T.E Lawrence's "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom " which are included with this historical summary and on which we hope to plot his and the squadron's movements. [See also under other Notes Gertrude Bell's journey maps of the changing frontier scene in Arabia at this time]. This reference to Lawrence is interesting because we recall that William mentioned that he flew gold bullion to Lawrence [see notes] to support the Arabian tribes to encourage their substantial and finally successful sabotage of the Turkish army, and/or that he flew Lawrence on one sortie [my brother Peter recalls the bullion and I recall the Lawrence flight - one of us is right, we presume but we do not know whom !]. See also under notes Bell's reference to Lawrence's brother, who apparently was in the RFC, being killed in the area about 1917. (Above photo, two men hold the wing struts on either side as the aircraft prepares for takeoff, note the unusual tent with stripes and diamond designs, one would think this is an old circus tent?)

We do not know when William Woods finally left Egypt nor when the Squadron returned to the UK but we intend to research the history of 113 Squadron to learn more about its campaign in Palestine and will publish the results here on this web site when we learn anything definitive. We are also attaching copies of the photographs of William in the RFC in Palestine and Egypt. We do not know the names of any of the other personnel in the photographs, I'm sorry to say.

Lt William Woods (2nd from left with cap) It would seem the boys are enjoying

some R&R by the sea. Likely taken in Palestine, others unknown

In the early 1930s he married Arana Cathryn Rowlands, from Rhyl on North Wales, one of eleven children [two of whom died early] of Grandfather and Grandmother Rowlands. Grandfather served in the Police as an Inspector

After the war William returned to the motor industry as a salesman. On the outbreak of the Second World War he rejoined the RAF and served as C.O.in Kirkby , then an RAF supply station in Lancashire [My brother did his `boot camp' there!]. At the end of the war he was transferred to St. Athens in South Wales near Cardiff and later to Lords Bridge near Cambridge. He transferred from active service to civilian staff in 1946 but still working for the RAF, until he left the RAF in 1947. In his later life, after the RAF, he continued as a car salesman in Cambridge, and later Welwyn, Hertfordshire until he retired. He died in 1971.

His two sons Michael and Peter Woods went to the Leys School in Cambridge and later to Clare College atambridge University . Peter followed in his father’s footsteps when he served his national service in the RAF as a Fighter Controller [F/O] in Germany. Michael served his national service in the Royal Engineers [2nd Lt].

Service History Summary

Some of the dates indicated refer to letters and not the actual activity.

12 Dec 14 (12/12/1914) Enlisted 4th Company 2nd Battalion.

29 Dec 14 (29/12/1914) The Pals. ??????

18th (Service) Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment. A.R.Woods in same regiment, killed in 1916.

6 Jan 16 (06/01/1916) In Alderhey hospital at Knotty Ash, wounded in shoulder.

24 Jan 16 (24/01/1916) In Central Hospital Wittington Barracks, Staffs

24 June 17 (24/06/1917) 2nd Lt., 2nd/3rd Battalion RFC, serving as cadet RFC (RAF Records)

19 Aug 17 (19/08/1917) Sailed from Southampton to Cherbourg, enroute across France to Egypt. 2nd Lt. WFW Middle East Brigade, Royal Flying Corps, Egypt

NOTE: 113 Squadron was at Ismailia with detachment of Re8's at Sheikh Nuran. This detachment was joined by the whole squadron on 10 Oct 1917. (10/10/1917)

NOTE: 113 Squadron moves to Julis on 23 Nov 1917 (23/11/1917) with detachment going to Khibert Deiran.

27 Nov 17 (27/11/1917) Reporting that WFW very busy and very successful at taking Beersheba. Flying for 12 hours that day.

NOTE: The squadron moved entirely to Khibert Deiran on 5th December 1917 (05/12/1917)

10 Dec 17 (10/12/1917) Hopes to spend Christmas in Jerusalem. Had received orders not to fire into or drop bombs on the city. Very wet conditions and hard to take off.

1 Dec 17 (01/12/1917) Seconded as 2nd Lt (Flying Officer/ Observer RFC)

7 Jan 18 (07/01/1918) Ten Days holiday in Cairo, staying at Shepheard's hotel.

No Date (No Date) Letter Extract: WFW flying for 12 hours. Got lost. Landed and met with Bedouin who seemed hostile but were not. Stayed the night and took off next day and found camp.

10 Jan 18 (10/01/1918) Letter Extract: Now back in Palestine after 10 Days leave.

NOTE:113 Squadron moves to Sarona on 17th January 1918. (17/01/1918)

29 Jan 18 (29/01/1918) Just finished a very successful offensive.

23 Feb 18 (23/02/1918) Still with "A Flight" (This needs checking)

NOTE: Feb to Oct 1918 113 Squadron has detached flights at El Affule and Gaifa with Nieuports.

8 March 18 (08/03/1918) Letter from Shepheards Hotel. Training for pilots certificate.

1 April 18 (01/04/1918) Transferred to RAF

16 Apr 18 (16/04/1918) At training school in Cairo

14 May 18 (14/05/1918) Awaiting Squadron

30 May 18 (30/05/1918) At Ismailia

14 June 18 (14/06/1918) In hospital diphtheria

3 July 18 (03/07/18) In isolation hospital, Ismailia

17 July 18 (17/07/1918) Ismailia

28 July 18 (28/07/1918) At Aboukir

11 Sept 18 (11/09/1918) Expecting three pips (Capt) and to be Flight Commander in 6 weeks.

14 Sept 18 (14/09/1918) Fed up with not being in big advance in Palestine

27 Sept 18 (27/09/1918) Finished training, going to Gunnery and Artillery then hopes to join 113 Squadron again.

30 Sept 18 (30/09/1918) Promoted Lt. Airplanes

20 Oct 18 (20/10/1918) Expects to go back to his old Squadron in Palestine. Refers to hopes of capturing Aleppo.

NOTE: 113 Sqn moved to Qantara on 18th November 1918 (18/11/1918)

NOTE: 113 Squadron moves back to Ismailia on 16th February 1919

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE BY Peter Woods

See The remarkable life of Gertrude Bell [‘Daughter of the Desert’] Published August 2006 by Macmilllan.

1. This immensely famous woman was the world expert on the developing Arabian scene in the early 20 th century particularly during and after the 1914/18 war. From archaeology to intelligence she covered many areas of expertise and was a solid friend of Lawrence of Arabia and contributed probably more even than him to the tribal support which proved very supportive to General Allenby and the fight against the Turkish forces.

2. Page 266 ‘…with Lawrence, who was also in mourning for his brother Will, a pilot who had joined the Royal Flying Corps and been shot down in September ……’

3. Peter Woods remembers well the story his father told of dropping golden guineas tied up in small sacks which filled the Observers compartment, and the pilot had difficulty finding Lawrence at the designated spot. ‘Suddenly they spied what he said looked like thousands of buffaloes below them and banked over to check. Of course they knew that were no buffaloes in Arabia but as they dropped down they saw Lawrence and literally thousands of camels in column over a vast expanse of desert. They landed, handed across the gold, and later returned to base’. Peter was always a little doubtful about the description of ‘thousands of camels’ but accepted the poetic license of a good real life story – and certainly Lawrence was supplied with much gold for his support of the tribes! However Gertrude Bell also describes a similar scene of many thousands of camels and marauding tribesmen [she also brought much gold from the Treasury for the same purpose] that she came across covering a vast area of the desert though this time from ground level; though shortly after she did fly over some of the territory. Authenticity indeed.

NOTE BY Michael Woods

PARA 3 above is interesting because it has parallels with a description by William’s mother Margaret who wrote to a relative quoting from a letter from William [which we do not have] as follows :

“He was flying for 12 hours at the battle of Beersheba and when they came down he was thanked by four generals and one a commander [sic], so he was feeling very proud. It was some special information he got. They were over the line of the Turks the whole time and when the battle was over they started to fly back to camp; the dark came on and they could not find it so flew round for about an hour, then thought they had found it, landed and found they had got amongst a tribe of Bedouins, who kill and rob all they can get. So he said they “got their wind up” and turned their gun on them, but they seemed to be friendly and gave him [them ?] some eggs, and did a lot of jabbering. So they waited till the moon got up then started up again and at last found their own camp”

Such was flying in the early days ! Couldn't be done with a Harrier nowadays !!

SERVICE RECORDS

Under Construction.

LETTERS FROM THE FRONT

Under Construction.

MAPS

Under Construction

SOURCE / COPYRIGHT: Peter Woods, (F/O RAF rtd), and Michael Woods, (2nd Lt. Royal Engineers rtd.) Sons of Lt. William Woods. September 2006

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	Lt William Francis Woods RAF 113 SQUADRON BACK TO Lt William Woods main listing \|\| BACK TO SQUADRON PERSONNEL \|\| HOME Lt William Woods (left) Note Observers badge and new style RAF uniforms William Francis Woods was the first son of three to Harold and Margaret Woods, who were Lancastrians and who lived all of their lives in Lancashire, mostly near Liverpool at Sefton and Ormskirk. The family had been originally brewers but some of them later worked on the Liverpool Corn Exchange, [which went down in flames unfortunately in the `29/31 period that affected so much of the world], and in shipping out of Liverpool. William had two brothers, Albert and Joseph. William was born in 1896, Albert in 1897 and Joseph in 1908. William worked as a car salesman after leaving school up to the outbreak of the 1914 -18 War. William and Albert enlisted in the Liverpool `Pals' regiment at the start of the war. Albert was killed on the 1st July 1916 at the battle of the Somme, buried at Montauban, Picardy and although the grave was destroyed and lost through the constant ravages of the war, he is listed in the memorial at Thiepval [which was later built to the design of the architect Edwin Lutyens] William was later wounded in the leg and repatriated to the UK. On his recovery he transferred to the newly formed Royal Flying Corps and after his initial training travelled by train with his squadron through France to Italy where they awaited transport, by ship presumably, to Egypt [Alexandria ?]. He flew in Palestine as an Observer but later trained and qualified as a pilot. He served in 113 Squadron. We have found maps in T.E Lawrence's "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom " which are included with this historical summary and on which we hope to plot his and the squadron's movements. [See also under other Notes Gertrude Bell's journey maps of the changing frontier scene in Arabia at this time]. This reference to Lawrence is interesting because we recall that William mentioned that he flew gold bullion to Lawrence [see notes] to support the Arabian tribes to encourage their substantial and finally successful sabotage of the Turkish army, and/or that he flew Lawrence on one sortie [my brother Peter recalls the bullion and I recall the Lawrence flight - one of us is right, we presume but we do not know whom !]. See also under notes Bell's reference to Lawrence's brother, who apparently was in the RFC, being killed in the area about 1917. (Above photo, two men hold the wing struts on either side as the aircraft prepares for takeoff, note the unusual tent with stripes and diamond designs, one would think this is an old circus tent?) We do not know when William Woods finally left Egypt nor when the Squadron returned to the UK but we intend to research the history of 113 Squadron to learn more about its campaign in Palestine and will publish the results here on this web site when we learn anything definitive. We are also attaching copies of the photographs of William in the RFC in Palestine and Egypt. We do not know the names of any of the other personnel in the photographs, I'm sorry to say. Lt William Woods (2nd from left with cap) It would seem the boys are enjoying some R&R by the sea. Likely taken in Palestine, others unknown In the early 1930s he married Arana Cathryn Rowlands, from Rhyl on North Wales, one of eleven children [two of whom died early] of Grandfather and Grandmother Rowlands. Grandfather served in the Police as an Inspector After the war William returned to the motor industry as a salesman. On the outbreak of the Second World War he rejoined the RAF and served as C.O.in Kirkby , then an RAF supply station in Lancashire [My brother did his `boot camp' there!]. At the end of the war he was transferred to St. Athens in South Wales near Cardiff and later to Lords Bridge near Cambridge. He transferred from active service to civilian staff in 1946 but still working for the RAF, until he left the RAF in 1947. In his later life, after the RAF, he continued as a car salesman in Cambridge, and later Welwyn, Hertfordshire until he retired. He died in 1971. His two sons Michael and Peter Woods went to the Leys School in Cambridge and later to Clare College atambridge University . Peter followed in his father’s footsteps when he served his national service in the RAF as a Fighter Controller [F/O] in Germany. Michael served his national service in the Royal Engineers [2nd Lt]. Service History Summary Some of the dates indicated refer to letters and not the actual activity. 12 Dec 14 (12/12/1914) Enlisted 4th Company 2nd Battalion. 29 Dec 14 (29/12/1914) The Pals. ?????? 18th (Service) Battalion, The King's Liverpool Regiment. A.R.Woods in same regiment, killed in 1916. 6 Jan 16 (06/01/1916) In Alderhey hospital at Knotty Ash, wounded in shoulder. 24 Jan 16 (24/01/1916) In Central Hospital Wittington Barracks, Staffs 24 June 17 (24/06/1917) 2nd Lt., 2nd/3rd Battalion RFC, serving as cadet RFC (RAF Records) 19 Aug 17 (19/08/1917) Sailed from Southampton to Cherbourg, enroute across France to Egypt. 2nd Lt. WFW Middle East Brigade, Royal Flying Corps, Egypt NOTE: 113 Squadron was at Ismailia with detachment of Re8's at Sheikh Nuran. This detachment was joined by the whole squadron on 10 Oct 1917. (10/10/1917) NOTE: 113 Squadron moves to Julis on 23 Nov 1917 (23/11/1917) with detachment going to Khibert Deiran. 27 Nov 17 (27/11/1917) Reporting that WFW very busy and very successful at taking Beersheba. Flying for 12 hours that day. NOTE: The squadron moved entirely to Khibert Deiran on 5th December 1917 (05/12/1917) 10 Dec 17 (10/12/1917) Hopes to spend Christmas in Jerusalem. Had received orders not to fire into or drop bombs on the city. Very wet conditions and hard to take off. 1 Dec 17 (01/12/1917) Seconded as 2nd Lt (Flying Officer/ Observer RFC) 7 Jan 18 (07/01/1918) Ten Days holiday in Cairo, staying at Shepheard's hotel. No Date (No Date) Letter Extract: WFW flying for 12 hours. Got lost. Landed and met with Bedouin who seemed hostile but were not. Stayed the night and took off next day and found camp. 10 Jan 18 (10/01/1918) Letter Extract: Now back in Palestine after 10 Days leave. NOTE:113 Squadron moves to Sarona on 17th January 1918. (17/01/1918) 29 Jan 18 (29/01/1918) Just finished a very successful offensive. 23 Feb 18 (23/02/1918) Still with "A Flight" (This needs checking) NOTE: Feb to Oct 1918 113 Squadron has detached flights at El Affule and Gaifa with Nieuports. 8 March 18 (08/03/1918) Letter from Shepheards Hotel. Training for pilots certificate. 1 April 18 (01/04/1918) Transferred to RAF 16 Apr 18 (16/04/1918) At training school in Cairo 14 May 18 (14/05/1918) Awaiting Squadron 30 May 18 (30/05/1918) At Ismailia 14 June 18 (14/06/1918) In hospital diphtheria 3 July 18 (03/07/18) In isolation hospital, Ismailia 17 July 18 (17/07/1918) Ismailia 28 July 18 (28/07/1918) At Aboukir 11 Sept 18 (11/09/1918) Expecting three pips (Capt) and to be Flight Commander in 6 weeks. 14 Sept 18 (14/09/1918) Fed up with not being in big advance in Palestine 27 Sept 18 (27/09/1918) Finished training, going to Gunnery and Artillery then hopes to join 113 Squadron again. 30 Sept 18 (30/09/1918) Promoted Lt. Airplanes 20 Oct 18 (20/10/1918) Expects to go back to his old Squadron in Palestine. Refers to hopes of capturing Aleppo. NOTE: 113 Sqn moved to Qantara on 18th November 1918 (18/11/1918) NOTE: 113 Squadron moves back to Ismailia on 16th February 1919 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE BY Peter Woods See The remarkable life of Gertrude Bell [‘Daughter of the Desert’] Published August 2006 by Macmilllan. 1. This immensely famous woman was the world expert on the developing Arabian scene in the early 20 th century particularly during and after the 1914/18 war. From archaeology to intelligence she covered many areas of expertise and was a solid friend of Lawrence of Arabia and contributed probably more even than him to the tribal support which proved very supportive to General Allenby and the fight against the Turkish forces. 2. Page 266 ‘…with Lawrence, who was also in mourning for his brother Will, a pilot who had joined the Royal Flying Corps and been shot down in September ……’ 3. Peter Woods remembers well the story his father told of dropping golden guineas tied up in small sacks which filled the Observers compartment, and the pilot had difficulty finding Lawrence at the designated spot. ‘Suddenly they spied what he said looked like thousands of buffaloes below them and banked over to check. Of course they knew that were no buffaloes in Arabia but as they dropped down they saw Lawrence and literally thousands of camels in column over a vast expanse of desert. They landed, handed across the gold, and later returned to base’. Peter was always a little doubtful about the description of ‘thousands of camels’ but accepted the poetic license of a good real life story – and certainly Lawrence was supplied with much gold for his support of the tribes! However Gertrude Bell also describes a similar scene of many thousands of camels and marauding tribesmen [she also brought much gold from the Treasury for the same purpose] that she came across covering a vast area of the desert though this time from ground level; though shortly after she did fly over some of the territory. Authenticity indeed. NOTE BY Michael Woods PARA 3 above is interesting because it has parallels with a description by William’s mother Margaret who wrote to a relative quoting from a letter from William [which we do not have] as follows : “He was flying for 12 hours at the battle of Beersheba and when they came down he was thanked by four generals and one a commander [sic], so he was feeling very proud. It was some special information he got. They were over the line of the Turks the whole time and when the battle was over they started to fly back to camp; the dark came on and they could not find it so flew round for about an hour, then thought they had found it, landed and found they had got amongst a tribe of Bedouins, who kill and rob all they can get. So he said they “got their wind up” and turned their gun on them, but they seemed to be friendly and gave him [them ?] some eggs, and did a lot of jabbering. So they waited till the moon got up then started up again and at last found their own camp” Such was flying in the early days ! Couldn't be done with a Harrier nowadays !! SERVICE RECORDS Under Construction. LETTERS FROM THE FRONT Under Construction. MAPS Under Construction SOURCE / COPYRIGHT: Peter Woods, (F/O RAF rtd), and Michael Woods, (2nd Lt. Royal Engineers rtd.) Sons of Lt. William Woods. September 2006 BACK TO Lt William Woods main Listing main listing personnel section BACK TO TOP