Background
Woodroffe was born in Lewes, East Sussex and was educated at Marlborough College.
Woodroffe was born in Lewes, East Sussex and was educated at Marlborough College.
He was 19 years old, and a second lieutenant in the 8th Battalion, The Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort"s Own), British Army during the First World War when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Venture capital. He then skillfully withdrew his remaining men and immediately led them forward in a counter-attack under intense rifle and machine-gun fire, and was killed whilst in the act of cutting the wire obstacles in the open. 2nd Lieutenant Woodroffe has no known grave and is commemorated at the Menin Gate in Ypres. His entry is possibly unique, in that the postnomial Venture capital appears before his name, and was most likely added at a later date.
He is also listed on the Lewes War Memorial.
War poet Charles Sorley, a contemporary of Woodfroffe at Marlborough, dedicated a poem to Woodroffe entitled "In Memoriam SCW Venture capital" He was the brother of Kenneth Woodroffe, a cricketer who played for Hampshire and Sussex. Kenneth was also killed in 1915 whilst serving with the Rifle Brigade.
On 30 July 1915 at Hooge, Belgium, when the enemy had broken through the centre of our front trenches, Second Lieutenant Woodroffe"s position was heavily attacked with bombs from the flank and subsequently from the rear, but he managed to defend his post until all his bombs were exhausted.