William John Ford

Memorial: Thornbury - St Mary's Church

Regiment: Royal Field Artillery

Rank and number: Driver 10653

Parents: William and Eliza Ford

Marital status: Single

Home address: Grovesend, Thornbury, Bristol

Date of birth: 1892

Date of death: 13/07/1917

Buried/Commemorated at: Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

Age: 25

Further information:

Bronze Tablet and Wooden Memorial Board

William John Ford, known as John, was baptised in St Mary’s Church on 27th March 1892. He was the son of William Ford, a labourer in a stone quarry. He had a younger brother, Thomas George, known as George, born in 1895. William Ford had married widow Eliza Hands in May 1891. She already had a daughter named Annie, born about 1886. At the time of the 1901 census the family were living at Grovesend

Eliza died in the Thornbury Union Workhouse in the summer of 1903 and was buried in Thornbury Cemetery on 8th August. She was recorded as the wife of William Ford, which implied that he was still alive. However, in the Army Registers relating to soldiers’ effects it was noted that John authorised any payments to be made to the Thornbury Board of Guardians, so it is presumed that both he and his younger brother may have stayed on at the workhouse after their mother’s death. In the 1911 census John, aged 18, was working as a mason’s labourer and was boarding with a family in Crossways. 16 year old George was working as a farm labourer and boarding in Thornbury

John enlisted in Bristol and served as a Driver with ‘B’ Battery, 58th Brigade, Royal Field Artillery. Drivers were in charge of a team of up to six horses, which pulled field artillery to areas of fighting. Most drivers were able to perform the duties of a gunner when required.
In 1917 the 58th Brigade, 11th (Northern) Division, was in action in operations on the Ancre, then in early June moved north to Flanders to fight in the Battle of Messines. It held the line near Ypres in early July. Messines was the prelude to the Third Battle of Ypres, the preliminary bombardment for which began on 11th July. On the night of 12th July, soldiers of 15th (Scottish) Division came under intense bombardment by shells containing mustard gas, a substance not previously encountered by British troops. This caused many casualties from serious chemical burns and delayed the launch of the Allied offensive. The Third Battle of Ypres did not begin until the end of the month

John died of wounds on 13th July and was buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery

By kind permission, this information is based on the following source(s):

Thornbury Roots Website. Thornbury and District Museum Research Group