George Wood (British Army officer)

Major General George Neville Wood CB, CBE, DSO, MC (4 May 1898 – 1982) was a senior British Army officer who fought during the First and Second World War, commanding the 25th Indian Infantry Division during the Burma Campaign.

George Wood
Memorial in Sherborne Abbey
Born	4 May 1898 Bristol, England
Died	1982 Camden, England
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service/branch	British Army
Years of service	1916–1952
Rank	Major General
Unit	Dorsetshire Regiment
Commands held	53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division 25th Indian Infantry Division 4th Indian Infantry Brigade 2nd Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment 12th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment
Battles/wars	First World War Second World War
Awards	Companion of the Order of the Bath Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Military Cross Mentioned in despatches

Early life

Wood was born on 4 May 1898 in Bristol, England the son of Frederick and Hannah Wood, his father was a commercial traveller.[1][2]

Military career

Wood entered the Royal Military College, Sandhurst and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into the Dorsetshire Regiment in 1916. He fought in the First World War, serving the last year of the war in the Royal Air Force and was awarded the Military Cross, mentioned in despatches and made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.[3]

He was promoted to temporary major in 1920.[4][5]

Attending the Staff College, Camberley from 1926 to 1927, during the Second World War Wood was the Commanding Officer (CO) of the 12th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment in 1941 and CO of the 2nd Battalion, Dorset Regiment between late 1941 and mid-1942. In July 1942 he was the acting commander of the 5th Indian Infantry Brigade before becoming commander of the 4th Indian Infantry Brigade until January 1943. In October 1944, Wood was made acting major general and took the command of the 25th Indian Infantry Division, overseeing victory at the decisive Battle of Kangaw and Operation Zipper during the Burma Campaign.[6]

Promoted to full major general in February 1947,[7] Wood became General Officer Commanding (GOC) 3rd (United Kingdom) Division in April 1947;[8] between August 1947 and March 1950, he was GOC 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division, before serving as Director of Quartering at the War Office until his retirement in 1952. He was subsequently honorary colonel of the Dorset Regiment from 1952 to 1958 and the first honorary colonel of the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment.[9]

References

1. 1901 Census of Bristol, RG13/2399, Folio 8, Page 7, George Neville Wood, 79 Berkeley Road, Bristol, aged 2
2. General Register Office index of deaths registered in January, February and March, 1982 – Name: Wood, George Neville, born 04 MY 1898, District: Camden Volume: 14 Page: 1964.
3. Flight (11 December 1919), 'The Royal Air Force', p.1600.
4. "No. 32192". The London Gazette. 11 January 1921. p. 367.
5. "No. 33804". The London Gazette. 1 March 1932. p. 1420.
6. "No. 37803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 3 December 1946. p. 5893.
7. "No. 37880". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 February 1947. p. 750.
8. "Army Commands" (PDF). Retrieved 1 June 2020.
9. "Devonshire and Dorset Regiment". regiments.org. Archived from the original on 25 February 2007. Retrieved 2 February 2017.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)

Military offices
Preceded by Henry Davies	General Officer Commanding 25th Indian Infantry Division 1944–1946	Succeeded by Post disbanded
Preceded by John Churcher	General Officer Commanding 3rd (United Kingdom) Division April 1947 – June 1947	Succeeded by Sir Hugh Stockwell
Preceded by Christopher Woolner	General Officer Commanding 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division 1947–1950	Succeeded by Ernest Down