The Story of Lt Col Horace Wood

Horace Wood was born on Monday 12th February 1912 in New Marske, Yorkshire son of George Henry a Police Constable and Eva nee Stainsby. He had one brother George Henry Junior who was born in 1914 but died in 1915 and a sister Sheila born in 1924.

At the outbreak of World War I, George was called up and served in the Military Mounted Police, the family were living at that time in 9 Manor Street, Middlesborough.

Following his education at Secondary School, Horace became a Commercial Traveller, before following in his father's footsteps and joining the Metropolitan Police on 25th February 1935 aged 23 with Warrant Number 43/124009. He was posted to the K Division and described as 5'.9 5/8 " tall. Interestingly the Met Commissioner at that time was the 'Father' of the Royal Air Force, Marshal of the Royal Air Force The 1st Baron Trenchard.

During the third quarter of 1937, Horace married Vera May Ward in Cleveland and they and they had one son Charles E born in 1938. The 1939 Register shows the family living at 342a Henley Road, Ilford, Essex.

At the outbreak of World War II on 3rd September 1939, Horace continued serving in the police and on 18th August 1941 was appointed as Assistant Clerk and promoted to Sergeant 2nd Class on 14th September 1942.

On 22nd March 1944, he was seconded into the Army, as Police Officers were not generally considered a reserved occupation. He was Commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant on the General List with service number 313970 and undertook training in the UK. On 24th August he boarded SS Fort Covington for the journey to France. He landed at Arromanches les Bains in Northern France on the 27th having transferred from the ship to a Rhino Ferry - a barge constructed from several pontoons which are connected and equipped with outboard engines. From here he headed inland, to Antwerp where he would remain for the foreseeable future within the Civil Affairs Department and investigate local atrocities committed against Belgians by German troops during their protracted withdrawal from Antwerp and Merksem.

Horace was promoted to Captain and in September 1944 became the Public Safety Officer 325th Civil Affairs Department, a United States organisation charged with making certain that all plans to occupy enemy or enemy-controlled territory included detailed planning for civil affairs. Following Belgian liberation Horace played a major role in the reorganisation of the local police, Gendarmerie, fire and civil defence service and the maintenance of law and order in Antwerp, drawing upon his civilian policing experiences.

At the end of the War, he was awarded the 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal (his previous police service qualifying him) and the War Medal 1939-45. In 1946 he was awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal by the President of the US and this appeared in the London Gazette of 15th August 1946.

His citation read "Captain Horace Wood, British Army, for meritorious service in connection with military operations from September 1944 to May 1945. As Public Safety Officer 325th Civil Affairs Detachment, Captain Wood was largely responsible during the early days of liberation for the reorganisation of local police, Gendarmerie, fire and civil defence services and by his exceptional energy and drive was instrumental in the maintenance of law and order in the port of Antwerp during months of crucial importance to the allied war effort in northwest Europe. His services have, throughout, reflected credit upon himself and the armed forces of the Allied Armies".

Horace was promoted to Major and was released from military service in early 1947, re-joining the Met Police on 3rd March. However, he was immediately seconded to serve on the Control Commission in Germany, The Allied Control Council (ACC) or Allied Control Authority (German: Alliierter Kontrollrat) also referred to as the Four Powers (Vier Mächte), was the governing body of the Allied occupation zones in Germany (1945-1949/1991) and Austria (1945-1955) after the end of World War II in Europe.

Once again Horace seems to have excelled at his role, being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and his main responsibility being the organisation and supervision of the post-Nazi SK Cologne Police Force and traffic regulations. Which once again drew upon his police experience.

Horace was clearly extremely highly regarded for his work with the Army and the Control Commission as he received numerous messages of thanks, especially for his work with the Cologne police for which he received a number of presentation albums for events he had organised:
- Inspection of SK-Cologne Police Force on 10 May 48 by Lt Col Sir Hugh Turnbull KCVO KBE Met Police Commissioner and W B R Morren CBE MVO Chief Constable of Edinburgh and Maj J F Ferguson Chief Constable for Kent.
- Inspection of SK-Cologne Police Force on 14 Sep 48 by Maj P R Margetson CVO MC, R A Fooks MA Chief Constable of Lincolnshire and A C West CBE Chief Constable of Portsmouth City.
- Inspection of the City of Cologne Police on 28 Jun 48 by Inspector General M S O'Rorke OBE, Brigadier P D W Dunn OBE DSO ADC and Deputy Inspector General F H Miller.
- An album of all the press cuttings and translations regarding his organisation of the police in Cologne.
- A personal album and thanks from Karl Winkler the Cologne Police Chief.

He also received a personally signed copy of the book 'History of 14 Map Reproduction Section RE' by Capt B B Tichener RE, the first copy of the book 'The Battle of Antwerp' from De Sleutel and a personally annotated copy of a photograph of him with the boxer Max Schmelling, a German Boxer and a personally signed picture of Felix Von Luckner - 'The Sea Devil'.

He also supervised a visit by Herbert Morrison MP, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom.

Following what appears to be an exemplary and highly successful career in the Army, Horace re-joined the Met Police on 1st April 1952 and was awarded his Police Exemplary Service Medal on 6th September 1957. He was promoted to Sergeant 1st Class on 1st January 1961, but failed his Inspectors exams! He retired from the police in 1965 aged 53 as a Sergeant.

Following retirement Horace became a Supervising Bailiff in the Lord Chancellor's Department and once again seems to have impressed as in 1977 he was awarded the Silver Jubilee Medal in this capacity.

Horace and Vera lived at 21 Merrivale Avenue, Redbridge and he passed away aged 78 on 27th November 1990 in Redbridge, London.