Stephen Woods
Stephen Woods was born in Chorley in 1883 and his two brothers, Alfred and James Henry, served with him in the Pals.
He enlisted in Chorley on the 19th September 1914 and was wounded at Serre on the 1st July 1916. After recovering from his wounds, Stephen was transferred to the 1st Battalion of the East Lancashire Regiment, being killed in action serving with them on the 17th January 1917. He was initially buried in either Charing Cross or Hebule Military cemetery close to Sailly-Saillisel north east of Albert but after the Armistice, soldiers from these cemeteries were re-buried in Sailly-Saillisel British Cemetery just outside the village of the same name.
Stephen was training to be Mechanic in 1901 but was working as a Collier at Darlington Colliery near Chorley in 1911 and upon enlisting in the Pals three years later. He had married Harriet Salisbury at St. James’ Church in Chorley during 1905 and they had one son, Herbert, who was born in 1907. However, his wife died in 1907 and his son in 1910 and by 1911 Stephen was living with his father (now a widower) at 180 Moor Road in Chorley. He worshipped, like his brothers, at Trinity Wesleyan but also at St. George’s Anglican Church in Chorley.
