by Zena Bowden (from May 2002 edition newsletter)
Leonard Sydney Wood was my brother and a very much loved member of our family. He was born on 27th May 1919, the third child of Horatio and Lilian Wood. The family lived at Manly NSW and Len became quite a good swimmer.
As a child and in his early teens he spent a lot of time at the beach and exploring the rocks and caves around Fairy Bower and Shelly Beach. When he was about fifteen he left home and joined his elder brother jackarooing in country NSW.
When war broke out he returned to the family home which was by then at Milperra. He was always good humoured and the life of the party at home. Every member of the family was close to him because he was interested in whatever they were doing at the time. He was a ‘bit of a romantic” and wrote some quite good poetry.
He joined the AIF and was assigned to the 2/12th Field Ambulance and was soon sent to Darwin. He was in Darwin when the Japanese bombed it.
They later returned to Sydney and we met a number of the boys from his unit. All those we met were lost with him in the sinking of the Centaur.
It was just before his 241h birthday. It was a tragic blow to all of us. He was a favourite son and brother, and he is sadly missed and fondly remembered.