David Wood (British Army officer)
Encyclopedia
Colonel David Wood MBE (23 February 1923 – 12 March 2009) was the last surviving officer of the coup de main
operation by gliderborne troops on D Day, 6 June 1944, which was tasked with capturing two vital bridges before the main assault on the Normandy beaches.
Early life
David James Wood was born in Corsham
, Wiltshire and educated at Monkton Combe. He was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
and joined the 2nd (airlanding) Battalion (the 52nd) in 1942. The battalion formed part of 6th Airlanding Brigade
, 6th Airborne Division in 1943.
Pegasus Bridge
He was a D Company platoon commander in the coup de main operation on D Day led by Major John Howard. The objective was to seize Benouville Bridge, now known as Pegasus Bridge
, over the Caen canal and Ranville Bridge, now known as Horsa Bridge
, over the River Orne. The original plan was for Wood to lead the first platoon across Pegasus Bridge. Shortly before D Day however, Howard changed the order of landing. On D Day Wood and his No 24 platoon were in the second glider to land at Pegasus Bridge; touching down at 00.17 hours, which was one minute after the first glider. Wood's platoon's objective was to clear trenches, machine-gun nests and the anti-tank gun pit along the east bank of Pegasus Bridge. He was shot in the leg whilst leading his platoon and was evacuated to a divisional aid post in Ranville and eventually back to England. By 00.26 hours on D Day both bridges had been secured. The capture of the bridges was portrayed in the film The Longest Day
(1962).
Post World War Two
Following the Second World War he served in Greece, the Suez Canal Zone, BAOR, Cyprus
, Malaya
, Northern Ireland
and Aden
. He was second-in-command of the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) in Penang
, during the insurgency in Brunei
and the Confrontation with Indonesia. He was mentioned in despatches Brunei, 1962. He was Military Assistant to the C-in-C British Army of the Rhine
. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry became the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) on 7 November 1958 and the 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets on 1 January 1966. He retired from the Army in 1978.
Later life
He was president of the Exeter branch of the Normandy Veterans Association. In June 2004, at the 60th anniversary of the Normandy landings, he was awarded the French Legion d' honneur, the highest order of France. He lived in Cullompton
, Devon.
Wood died in March 2009 aged 86.
Coup de main
A coup de main is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. The United States Department of Defense defines it as:The literal translation from French means a stroke or blow of the hand...
operation by gliderborne troops on D Day, 6 June 1944, which was tasked with capturing two vital bridges before the main assault on the Normandy beaches.
Early life
David James Wood was born in Corsham
Corsham
Corsham is a historic market town and civil parish in north west Wiltshire, England. It is at the south western extreme of the Cotswolds, just off the A4 which was formerly the main turnpike road from London to Bristol, between Bath and Chippenham ....
, Wiltshire and educated at Monkton Combe. He was commissioned into the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry was an infantry regiment of the British Army.The regiment was formed as a consequence of Childers reforms, a continuation of the Cardwell reforms, by the amalgamation of the 43rd Regiment of Foot and the 52nd Regiment of Foot , forming the 1st...
and joined the 2nd (airlanding) Battalion (the 52nd) in 1942. The battalion formed part of 6th Airlanding Brigade
6th Airlanding Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 6th Airlanding Brigade was a glider infantry brigade forming part of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. Composed of three infantry battalions and supporting units, it was assigned to the 6th Airborne Division....
, 6th Airborne Division in 1943.
Pegasus Bridge
He was a D Company platoon commander in the coup de main operation on D Day led by Major John Howard. The objective was to seize Benouville Bridge, now known as Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge
Pegasus Bridge is a bascule bridge , built in 1934, that crossed the Caen Canal, between Caen and Ouistreham, in Normandy, France....
, over the Caen canal and Ranville Bridge, now known as Horsa Bridge
Horsa Bridge
Horsa Bridge, also known as Ranville bridge, over the Orne River, was, with Pegasus Bridge, captured during Operation Deadstick by gliderborne troops of the 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in a coup de main operation in the opening minutes of D Day, 6 June 1944, before the main...
, over the River Orne. The original plan was for Wood to lead the first platoon across Pegasus Bridge. Shortly before D Day however, Howard changed the order of landing. On D Day Wood and his No 24 platoon were in the second glider to land at Pegasus Bridge; touching down at 00.17 hours, which was one minute after the first glider. Wood's platoon's objective was to clear trenches, machine-gun nests and the anti-tank gun pit along the east bank of Pegasus Bridge. He was shot in the leg whilst leading his platoon and was evacuated to a divisional aid post in Ranville and eventually back to England. By 00.26 hours on D Day both bridges had been secured. The capture of the bridges was portrayed in the film The Longest Day
The Longest Day (film)
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
(1962).
Post World War Two
Following the Second World War he served in Greece, the Suez Canal Zone, BAOR, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Malaya
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and Aden
Aden
Aden is a seaport city in Yemen, located by the eastern approach to the Red Sea , some 170 kilometres east of Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000. Aden's ancient, natural harbour lies in the crater of an extinct volcano which now forms a peninsula, joined to the mainland by a...
. He was second-in-command of the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) in Penang
Penang
Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...
, during the insurgency in Brunei
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
and the Confrontation with Indonesia. He was mentioned in despatches Brunei, 1962. He was Military Assistant to the C-in-C British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry became the 1st Green Jackets (43rd and 52nd) on 7 November 1958 and the 1st Battalion The Royal Green Jackets on 1 January 1966. He retired from the Army in 1978.
Later life
He was president of the Exeter branch of the Normandy Veterans Association. In June 2004, at the 60th anniversary of the Normandy landings, he was awarded the French Legion d' honneur, the highest order of France. He lived in Cullompton
Cullompton
Cullompton is a civil parish and town in Devon, England, locally known as Cully. It is miles north-north-east of Exeter and lies on the River Culm. In 2010 it had a population of 8,639 and is growing rapidly....
, Devon.
Wood died in March 2009 aged 86.