Seaman Peter Wood

Seaman Peter Wood. He was lost aboard H.M.S. “Otway” on 22nd July 1917, aged 24. He was the son of Joseph and Rachel Wood of Townfoot, Coldingham and is commemorated on the Chatham Naval Memorial, Chatham. H.M.S. “Otway” was an Armed Merchant Ship torpedoed and sunk in the North Minch off the Hebrides by UC49 with the loss of 10 lives.Before enlisting he had been a baker with Mr Moffat. The ship had sailed from Loch Awe for patrol duties in the North Sea with Captain Philip Colomb in command when it was torpedoed. The casualties had all been asleep at the time of the explosion. The ship tried to beach but became uncontrollable and was abandoned. The photograph is not the ” Otway” but a similar type of vessel.