No.13706, Lance Corporal, Walter FORD
Aged 20
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Walter Ford was born in 1895 (Mildenhall Q4-1895 4A:773), son of Alfred and Emma FORD (née ANDREWS).
1901 census...Aged 5, he was at Bedlam Yard, The Green, West Row with his father Alfred FORD [31] a blacksmith; his mother Emma [28]; brother Alfred W [9]; sisters Ruth [7] and Hilda [2]. All were born Mildenhall. 1911 census...Aged 15, farm labourer, he was at West Row with his parents; brothers Reggie [7] and Gordon [4]; sisters Hilda, Eliza [10] and Violet [1]. Now, except for Beck Row born mother, they are all recorded as born in West Row. 1 sibling had died. |
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He enlisted in Mildenhall The 9th Suffolk were south of Ginchy and on 13th were part 6th Division for the attack on The Quadrilateral, a German Redoubt just east of Ginchy. With the Sherwood Foresters on their left and Bedfordshires on their right, with 3 companies in the front and one in support they attacked at 6:20 am. Getting through the German outpost line easily, they then gained the open ground stretching about 400 yards to the enemy's wire where they came under machine gun fire from the Quadrilateral.No further progress could be made. Around 7 pm another attempt was made,but again to no effect. They dug in, about half a mile in front to their jumping off pint of the morning. CWGC records 46 all ranks killed, of which 27 have no known grave. The Bury Free Press of 27th October 1917 reported:- MISSING WEST ROW L-CORPL NOW REPORTED DEAD After anxiously awaiting news for some twelve months Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Ford of Hurdle Farm, West Row, have had their worst fears confirmed concerning the fate of their son, L-Corpl Walter Ford, who, about a year ago was posted missing. According to a recent communication from the ArmY Record Office the gallant Lce-Corpl is now officially reported as dead. The deceased soldier was attached to the 9th Suffolks and enlisted in Lord Kitchener's Army as early in the war as the month of September 1914, and he proceeded to France the following year.The bereaved family ,who are greatly respected, have been the recipients of much sympathy locally.
and commemorated on the war memorial in Mildenhall. click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
