Photo submitted by Marion Hebblethwaite.

Field Marshal Sir Henry Evelyn Wood VC GCB GCMG (February 9, 1838 - December 2, 1919) was an English Field Marshal and a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. Photo of Victoria Cross recipient Henry Evelyn Wood, migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference site with permission. ... Photo of Victoria Cross recipient Henry Evelyn Wood, migrated from the Victoria Cross Reference site with permission. ... Note: This article is about the military usage of the word marshal. For other usages, see the end of this article. ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ... February 9 is the 40th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... December 2 is the 336th day (337th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Note: This article is about the military usage of the word marshal. For other usages, see the end of this article. ... Victoria Cross medal, ribbon, and bar. ... The Commonwealth of Nations (CN), usually known as The Commonwealth, is a voluntary association of 53 independent sovereign states, all of which, with the exception of Mozambique, are former colonies of the United Kingdom. ...

Early life

Wood was born in 1838 in Braintree, Essex as the youngest son of Sir John Page Wood, Bt., and an elder brother of Katherine Parnell, Evelyn Wood was educated at Marlborough College and served as a midshipman in the Crimean War during the siege of Sebastopol. Heavily wounded in an attack on the Redan, Wood was mentioned in dispatches. He then left the Royal Navy to join the army, becoming a cornet in the 13th Light Dragoons and then a lieutenant in the 17th Lancers. In India he saw action during the Indian Mutiny and saw action at Rajghur, Sindwaho, Kharee, and Barode. Braintree is a town of about 38,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. ... Katherine Parnell, variously known as Katie OShea or Kitty OShea (1845/1846–1921) was an English woman whose affair with Charles Stewart Parnell eventually caused his political downfall. ... Marlborough College is a British boarding school in the county of Wiltshire, founded in 1843 for the education of the sons of Church of England clergy, although it now accepts both boys and girls of all beliefs. ... Combatants Allies: Second French Empire United Kingdom Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Sardinia Russian Empire Bulgarian volunteers Casualties 90,000 French 35,000 Turkish 17,500 British 2,050 Sardinian killed, wounded and died of disease 256,000 killed, wounded and died of disease The Crimean War (1854–1856) was fought... Combatants Great Britain France Russia Commanders General François Canrobert (later replaced by General Pélissier) Lord Raglen Admiral Kornilov (later replaced by Admiral Pavel Nakhimov) Lt. ... Redan is a term from fortifications. ... An engraving titled Sepoy Indian troops dividing the spoils after their mutiny against British rule gives a contemporary view of events from the British perspective. ...

In 1861 Wood was promoted to captain and in 1862 he became a brevet major in the 73rd Highlanders (Black Watch). In 1865 he left the infantry for the cavalry again and after a stint as an aide-de-camp in Dublin, Wood was given a staff position until 1871, when he became a full major in the 90th Foot. Meanwhile he had married the sister of the 4th Viscount Southwell, Mary Pauline Southwell, in 1867. An aide-de-camp (French: camp assistant) is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state. ...

In 1873 Wood was promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel and in 1874 he served in the Ashanti War. Until 1878 Wood was a member of the staff at Aldershot. Year 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link with display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

General officer

In January 1879, he took part in the Anglo-Zulu War and was given command of the left column of the army that crossed the Zulu frontier, and shortly afterwards he received the local rank of brigadier ­general. Defeated at Hlobane, he recovered and decisively beat the Zulus at Kambula and also took part in the final battle at Ulundi. 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants Britain Zulu Nation Commanders Sir Bartle Frere, Frederick Augustus Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford Cetshwayo Strength 14,800 (6,400 Europeans 8,400 Africans) 40,000 Casualties 1,727 killed, 256 wounded 8,250+ killed, 3,000+ wounded The Anglo-Zulu War was fought in 1879 between Britain and the... The Battle of Hlobane was a battle of the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. ... Battle of Kambula took place in 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War. ... Combatants Britain Zulu Nation Commanders Lord Chelmsford Cetshwayo Strength 5,317 20,000 Casualties 10 killed 87 wounded 1,500+ The Battle of Ulundi took place at the Zulu capital of Ulundi on July 4, 1879 and proved to be the decisive battle that finally broke the military power of...

At the close of the war, Evelyn Wood became a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath and was appointed to command the Chatham district. With the First Boer War going on, Wood was sent back to South Africa in January 1881 with the local rank of major­ general. He remained in Natal until February 1882, was awarded a GCMG and then returned to the Chatham command. Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... The First Boer War also known as the First Anglo-Boer War or the Transvaal War, was fought from December 16, 1880 until March 23, 1881. ... On the Orders insignia, St Michael is often depicted subduing Satan. ...

coloured photograph from Celebrities of the Army, London 1900

Wood was given command of a brigade in the Egyptian expedition. He was made Sirdar of the Egyptian army until 1885, during which period he thoroughly reorganized it. He commanded the British at the Battle of Gennis. In 1886, he was allowed to return to Britain, promoted to lieutenant-general in 1891, Wood was given the Grand Cross in the Order of the Bath. He saw further service as quartermaster-general at the War Office and as adjudant-general. The Battle of Gennis in Sudan (then often called upper Egypt) was fought on 30 December 1885. ... 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... Year 1891 (MDCCCXCI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Promoted to full general in 1895, Wood commanded the II Army Corps and Southern Command from 1901 to 1904. On 8 April 1903 Sir Evelyn Wood was promoted field marshal. In 1907, he became colonel of the Royal Horse Guards. After retiring from active service, Sir Evelyn Wood VC became chairman of the Association for the City of London, and on March 11, 1911 he was appointed Constable of the Tower of London. 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1904 (MCMIV) was a leap year starting on a Friday (see link for calendar). ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1900 (MCMIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Friday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar. ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Constable of the Tower of London is the governor of the Tower. ...

Wood was buried with full military honours in the Military Cemetery at Aldershot in Hampshire. This does not cite its references or sources. ... Hampshire, sometimes historically Southamptonshire or Hamptonshire, (abbr. ...

Victoria Cross

He was 20 years old, and a Lieutenant in the 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own), British Army during the Indian Mutiny when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the VC. Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ... The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... An engraving titled Sepoy Indian troops dividing the spoils after their mutiny against British rule gives a contemporary view of events from the British perspective. ...

On 19 October 1858 during an action at Sinwaho, India, Lieutenant Wood was in command of a troop of light cavalry and attacked almost single-handed a body of rebels, whom he routed. He also subsequently at Sindhora, rescued, with the help of a duffadar and a sowar, a Potail from a band of robbers who had captured the man and carried him into the jungle where they intended to hang him. October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

The medal

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum (Chelsea, England). The National Army Museum is the British Armys central museum. ...

Other appointments

• Governor of Gresham's School 1899-1919

Gresham’s School is an independent boarding school at Holt in North Norfolk, England, founded in the year 1555, a member of the HMC. // Big School (1903) The Senior School of Greshams was established at Holt by Sir John Gresham in 1555, during the reign of Queen Mary I...

References

• Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
• The Register of the Victoria Cross (This England, 1997)
• One Hundred Terms at Gresham's School by J.R. Eccles (1934)

Monuments To Courage is a book by David Harvey, published in 1999. ... The Register of the Victoria Cross A list of all 1350 Victoria Crosses with details of each recipient ISBN 0906324033 Publisher: Cheltenham: This England Books; 1981 Size: 8vo - over 7 3/4 - 9 3/4 Pagination: 303 + 4. ...

External links

• Location of grave and VC medal (Hampshire)