A First War Group To Captain Woods; 241St (S.m.) Brigade

A First War Group to Captain Woods; 241st (S.M.) Brigade - 1914-15 Star (2. LIEUT. W.A. WOODS. R.F.A.); British War Medal (CAPT. W.A. WOODS); and Victory Medal (CAPT. W.A. WOODS). Un-mounted, dark patina on the BWM, light contact, near extremely fine. Accompanied by a four stripe Overseas Service (War) Chevrons (four blue wool chevrons sewn upon brownish-green wool, 48 mm x 55 mm), four Pips (bronze, size ranging from 21.5 mm to 24.5 mm, intact lugs and pins), five large Royal Artillery Buttons (brass, three maker marked "PITT & Co. LONDON", two maker marked "JENNENS & Co. Ltd. LONDON", 24.5 mm each, intact loops), one small Royal Artillery Button (brass, maker marked "J.R. GAUNT & SOND Ld. LONDON", 16.8 mm, intact loops), a British Legion Pin (two-piece construction, bronze gilt and enamels, numbered "400252", maker marked "BIRMINGHAM MEDAL Co" and coded "Rd 684409" on the reverse, 26.5 mm x 26.8 mm, buttonhole attachment), four Aerial Reconnaissance Photographs (black and white, location identified, one with additional handwritten notes in red ink, 162 mm x 213 mm each), RFA Battalion Group Photograph (black and white, faded to a sepia-tone, studio marked "Fred Spalding & Sons, Chelmsford", 170 mm x 290 mm, on a gray thick gray matte), two RFA Seven Man Artillery Battery with Gun Group Photographs taken in the street in Vicenza, Italy (black and white, studio stamped "U. Ferrini VINCENZA", 155 mm x 230 mm, on gray mattes), RFA Battalion Group Photograph taken in front of a Building in Vicenza, Italy with signage behind inscribed "FEMMINILE" (Female) and "SCOULE COMUNALI" (Municipal Schools) (black and white, studio stamped "U. Ferrini VINCENZA", 138 mm x 237 mm, on gray matte), RFA Guns with Two Soldiers each seated and led by Soldiers on Horseback taken in Vicenza, Italy (black and white, studio stamped "U. Ferrini VINCENZA", 158 mm x 217 mm, on brown matte), Photograph with Woods as part of his Cambridge Eights Rowing Team (black and white, "Lily Hall, Saturday" notation in pencil on the reverse, 207 mm x 275 mm), Wedding Photograph (black and white, faded to a sepia-tone, 132 mm x 193 mm, mounted to cardboard), Trench Map for Belgium, Sheet 28 N.E., Edition 3. C. (white linen stock, printed in red, blue and black inks, 682 mm x 895 mm, folds up to 115 mm x 172 mm, lightly soiled), Range Table for 18-Pr. Q.F. Guns Marks I. and II. Booklet (softcover, 32 pages with handwritten notes, 102 mm x 157 mm), Royal Artillery Records of Registrations Booklet (softcover, few handwritten notes, 115 mm x 190 mm, soiled, with two addendum inserts), 241st Brigade Royal Field Artillery 1914-1918 Commemorative Book (hardcover, 56 pages, texts with printed photos, photo of Woods pasted on the inside cover page and eight photos of groups, a rowing team and one of soldiers on review pasted on the inside back cover, 190 mm x 253 mm x 14 mm, in its cardboard mailing folder, addressed to "W.A. WOODS / 1 STANLEY AVE. / NORWICH" postmarked Edinburgh, accompanied by a letter dated January 29, 1932 addressed to Captain Woods from Frank Gales, thanking him for loaning him the book), WWI Service Record Sheet with Recommendation to Captain (dated December 29, 1918, 200 mm x 223 mm), Army Form W. 5129. Service Record (332 mm x 415 mm), Commission Document Confirming William Ashburnham Woods, 2nd South Midland Brigade, RFA as a Second Lieutenant, Territorial Force effective August 29, 1914 (dated August 27, 1914, affixed embossed stamp, 302 mm x 403 mm), Anti-Gas Instructors to the Board of Inland Revenue Certificate Appointing Woods as an Air Raid Warden (dated January 20, 1939), Hertfordshire County Council Civil Defence Certificate confirming Woods had passed an Examination in Incident Control (dated June 26, 1944, 140 mm x 203 mm), County of Hertford Letter of Appreciation for His Participation in the Civil Defence Organization (dated January 1946, 182 mm x 222 mm), Berkhamsted Urban district Council Letter of Appreciation for His Participation in the Civil Defence Organization (dated February 1946, 184 mm x 225 mm), Sam Browne Belt (well-stitched smooth-finished brown leather with brass hardware, tab behind the buckle, two D-Rings and clip hanging from the left side, the front one connected to a wide adjustable leather shoulder strap on the left side, and when swung over the left shoulder, connects to the D-Ring at the back, post to the left of the buckle, right side has seven rows of two holes and five central slitted holes, two-prong buckle on the left side, 53 mm x 1,125 mm, faded inscription on the reverse), Cased Binoculars (steel body, maker marked "W. Watson & Sons Ltd. London & Barnet." and marked "SUNICA x6 10015", 60 mm x 145 mm x 105 mm in height, with full-length leather neck strap, wear evident on the leather wrap of the eyepiece housings, in their brown leather case, red felt lined, named on the bottom "W.A. Woods II Bty 2 S.M.F.A." (2nd South Midland Field Artillery), maker marked "W. Watson & Sons Ltd. LONDON" on the inside lid, 69 mm x 172 mm x 120 mm in height, with buckled strap closure and full-length strap), Cased Compass (brass body with glass covers, functional, 360 degree gradations on the dial, additional gradations along the circumference, adjustment knobs on the side, named on the bottom "W.A. WOODS", flip-top, with brass belt loop, 54.5 mm x 75.5 mm x 21.3 mm, in its brown leather case, green felt lined, 65 mm x 90 mm x 31 mm, with full-length neck strap and buckled strap closure, note inside inscribed "quite good / appears quite accurate" and initialed) and two-blade Pocket Knife (stainless steel, maker marked "JOHN WATTS SHEFFIELD ENGLAND STAINLESS STEEL" and marked "OIL THE JOINTS", 22 mm x 96 mm x 9.5 mm, with belt loop).Footnote: William Ashburnham Woods was born on May 25, 1891 in Quainton, Buckinghamshire, the son of W.A. Woods of Aylesbury. He was educated at two Private Schools (at Stanford 1911-12 and at Lewisham 1912-13), Magdalen College School, Brackley and Cambridge University, where he graduated with an MA in History. He also spoke French, was athletically inclined in Cricket, Soccer and Field Hockey, in addition to being interested in Photography and Agriculture. He was also an accomplished rower while at Cambridge, as he was on the Eights Rowing Team, as evidence by the accompanying photograph. Just after the outbreak of the Great War, he was named a Second Lieutenant, Territorial Force on August 27, 1914, at the age of 21. He served in England for the next seven months (August 28, 1914 to March 30, 1915) as a 2nd Lieutenant with the 241st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He left for the French theatre on March 31st, where he was named an Acting Lieutenant with the 241st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery and later, promoted to Lieutenant (November 1914) and Acting Captain (October 1916). Woods was Mentioned in Despatches (June 1916) and attended a Course at the 3rd Artillery School in France (November 1916) and an Overseas Course (February 1917). He was the victim of a gas attack at Ypres on July 31, 1917 and invalided to England, after serving twenty-eight months in France and received a Twenty Pound wound gratuity for his injury. During his recuperation in England, he was placed with the 6th Battery, Reserve Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. It was during this time that he continued his wartime education with Fulham Telephone Courses (November 1917) and a Battery Commander's Course (April 1918). He was re-activated for service and sent to the Italian theatre for nine months (June 1918 to March 1919) as a Lieutenant with the 241st Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. He was with the British forces at the Defence of Vincenza, as evidenced by the accompanying photographs. Woods was with 'B' Battery 241st (S.M.) Brigade, Royal Artillery, Territorial Force as a Second-in-Command of a Six-Gun Battery, when he was recommended for a promotion to Captain on December 29, 1918. The Brigadier-General Commanding the Royal Artillery, 48th Division noted that Woods was "A very sound reliable Officer. Has been acting as second in command of a battery for the last 6 months. Fit for promotion to Captain.". In addition, Major R. Powell, Commanding 241st Brigade (S.M.), Royal Field Artillery noted onDecember 24th that Woods was "An excellent all around Officer, reliable and conscientious, with good professional knowledge and power of leadership. A good disciplinarian with capacity and tact for training. He has had no experience of Staff work. Has a good knowledge of French. He is physically fit." Post-war, he returned to Cambridge University, where he received a Diploma in Agriculture (1919-20). His services were called upon again upon the outbreak of the Second World War, when the Anti-Gas Instructors to the Board of Inland Revenue appointed Woods as an Air Raid Warden effective January 20, 1939. He later passed an Examination in Incident Control with the Hertfordshire County Council Civil Defence, as documented on June 26, 1944.