George Wood

Sir George Adam Wood (176722 April 1831) was a British Army officer who served in the Peninsular War and fought at the Battle of Waterloo on 18June 1815.

Biography He was born the son of Lieutenant Adam Wood (d. 1773), who served with Captain Coote's Independent Company of Foot based at Landguard Fort, and Francis (d. 2January 1822).

Wood served with distinction in the Mediterranean from 1806 until 1808; he then went to Portugal, took part in Sir John Moore's campaign, was at the Battle of Coruña on 16January 1809, and returned with the British army to England. In July he was in the expedition under the Earl of Chatham to Walcheren, and was at the siege of Flushing and its capture on 14August. He was knighted on 22May 1812. He commanded the Royal Artillery of the army under Sir Thomas Graham (afterwards Lord Lynedoch), which co-operated with the allies in Holland and Flanders. Landing at Rotterdam in December 1813, he was at the Siege of Antwerp in January 1814, and at the action of Merxem on 13January 1814. He was at the unsuccessful assault on Bergen op Zoom on 8March, and the subsequent blockade of that place and of Antwerp. For his services he received brevet promotion, and was made an aide-de-camp to King George IV.

In 1815 Wood commanded the whole of the royal artillery in the Waterloo Campaign, in the battles of Quatre Bras (16 June) and of Waterloo (18 June), in the march to Paris and the operations against the fortresses of Maubeuge, Landrecy, Mariembourg, Philippeville, and Cambray, and at the entry into Paris on 7 July. For his services in this campaign Wood was mentioned in despatches, was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on the 22May 1812 and knighted when proxy to Sir J. C. Sherbrooke. He also received the Waterloo Medal, and was permitted to accept and wear the insignia of the fourth class of the Order of St. Vladimir (K.St.V) of Russia, the third class of the Order of Wilhelm of the Netherlands, and the knighthood of the Military Order of Maria Theresa (KMT) of Austria. The following year he was made a knight commander of the royal Royal Hanoverian Guelphic Order (KCH). He commanded the British artillery of the army of occupation in France until 1819, when he returned to England.