|
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 Assigned to “C” Company
“C” Company and “D” Company were quartered in the
Armouries in Barrie, Ontario
|
|
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
While
on the train to Halifax from Barrie, William Ward wrote a letter to his
children. That letter is transcribed here.
Letter courtesy of Amanda House
|
|
