|
Oct 19, 1876
|
Born in Bere Regis, Dorsetshire,
England
|
|
Aug 13, 1895
|
Attested into the 1st
Rifle Brigade in Manchester, England
Ø
Number 3996
|
|
Aug 12, 1907
|
Discharged from the Rifle Brigade in
Manchester
Ø
Rank on discharge Rifleman
Ø
Trade noted as Labourer
Ø
Entitled to wear the Queen’s
South Africa Medal with the Transvaal Clasp
Noted as having the 2nd Class Certificate of
Education
|
|
Mar 16, 1916
|
Attested into the 76th
Battalion CEF in Barrie, Ontario
Ø
Number 142633
Ø
Next of kin given as Isabel Ward,
wife, Midhurst, Ontario
Ø
Previous occupation given as Farmer
Ø
Previous military experience given as
8 years with Colours and 4 years in the militia with 1st,
3rd and 4th Battn. Rifle
Brigade
Ø
Religion given as Church of England
Ø
Posted to “C”
Company
“C” Company and “D” Company
were quartered in the Armouries in Barrie, Ontario
While
on the train to Halifax from Barrie, William Ward wrote a letter to his
children. That letter is transcribed here.
Letter
courtesy of Julie Lennox
|
|
Apr 23, 1916
|
Embarked the SS Empress of Britain in
Halifax, Nova Scotia
|
|
May 5, 1916
|
Disembarked in Liverpool, England and
the battalion proceeded to the West Sandling Camp, near Hythe, Kent to
continue training
|
|
Jun 28, 1916
|
Transferred to the 21st
Battalion
|
|
Jun 29, 1916
|
Arrived at the CBD (Canadian Base
Depot) in the Rouelles Camp, Havre, France and TOS (Taken On Strength)
the 21st Battalion.
After a short stay at the base depot, Private Ward joined the 21st
Battalion at the front
|
|
Oct 8, 1916
|
I could not determine when he was
wounded, but the last entry in the battalion’s war diary for
casualties was October 5, 1916 when they recorded 2 killed and 16
wounded in the previous 3 days of fighting.
One would assume that Private Ward was among
those listed as wounded. He
would have been evacuated to a field ambulance for first aid before
being transported to the No. 9 Casualty Clearing Station.
Private William
Ward died of his wounds at the No. 9 Casualty Clearing Station and
buried in the nearby Contay British Cemetery, Contay, France
Following the war, the British War Medal, Victory Medal, Memorial Cross
and the Plaque (Dead Man’s Penny) were sent to the family
|
|
William
Ward is honoured on the Barrie, Ontario War Memorial
|
|
