Fred Wood H-37B-A

It is with regret that I inform you of the death of H-37B-A    7589702 Fred ‘Timber’ Wood Member No 1146 after a long illness aged 89 on the 18th May 2012.

Fred enlisted in Derby on the 1st October 1937 in the Royal Army Ordnance Corps and started his Apprenticeship at Hillsea and was later transferred to Arborfield to complete it. He transferred to  REME in September 1942.

Served in the UK until was posted in 1943 to North Africa, Malta & Italy.  Returning to the UK in 1946 till 1949 when he saw service in the Canal Zone 1949 -52.

On returning to the UK he served on the Permanent Staff as the Warrant Officer Vehicles and this was the first time I met him as a young VM Apprentice in early 1956 until he departed for Korea & Hong Kong.

From 1959-65 served at Home & BAOR retiring in 1965 where upon he joined the staff as an instructor for a short time before transferring his skills to ‘A’ Wing SEME.

In the early 70’s he took up the challenge and went back to school and gained an HNC in Mechanical Engineering and shortly after wards left to join Highbury Technical College as a lecturer till retiring.

His one passion in life was gardening and in retirement relished in it when not bowling.  As in his working life set high stands and achieved them.

Where do I come into all this?  In 1970 my eldest sister was admitted to the BMH Cambridge Hospital  in Aldershot after a RTA, and was seriously ill and during visiting I met a pretty young nurse who turned out be Fred’s daughter, we married in 1971. Fred and Ihave been close friends since.

Fred is survived by his wife Rita, daughter and son.

Ron Ward 56A