Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Thomas Ford, a builder, born 1855 in Dunton Bassett, Leicestershire and his wife Elizabeth Ford (nee Stafford, married on the 17th November 1879 in the Parish Church Clifton upon Dunsmore, Warwickshire), born 1858 in Clifton upon Dunsmore, Warwickshire. Alfred was born on the 18th January 1894 in Dunton Bassett, his siblings were, Frederick, a bricklayer, born 4th September 1880, Edward Ernest, a bricklayer, born 30th December 1881, Ada, a Griswold knitter, born 2nd June 1885, William, a builder’s carter, born 1886, Ellen, born 23rd January 1889, Walter, born 6th November 1890, Horace, born 10th June 1892, Harold, born 1895 and Thomas, born 1898, the latter nine siblings were all born in Dunton Bassett and George Henry, born 13th December 1899 in Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, in April 1901 the family home was at Broughton Astley. Alfred’s father died on the 19th July 1901in Ullesthorpe, Leicestershire, aged 46. In April 1911 Alfred was absent from the family home at Dunton Road, Broughton Astley, residing there was his widowed mother, and siblings, Ernest, a bricklayer, Ada, a hosiery trade worker, Nellie, a hosiery trade worker, Horace an apprentice carpenter, Harold a hosiery trade worker, Thomas, an errand boy, George, a schoolboy and Elizabeth, a schoolgirl, born 1902 in Broughton Astley, Alfred was serving in the Royal Navy as a Boy 1st Class aboard H.M.S. Ganges. Alfred’s mother died in March 1927 in the Lutterworth, Leicestershire district, age 70.
Alfred enlisted into the Royal Navy, his medical examination recorded him as being 5 feet 6 inches in height, having a chest measurement of 34½ inches, with light brown hair and brown hazel eyes, his complexion was described as fresh, he enlisted for a period of 12 years that would commence on his eighteenth birthday on the 18th January 1912. Alfred first joined HMS Ganges II as a Boy Class II on the 31st December 1910, being promoted to Boy Class I and serving aboard HMS Ganges II from the 31st March to the 7th April 1911, then serving with HMS Bulwark from the 8th April to the 24th April 1911, HMS Africa from the 25th April to the 14th September 1911, HMS Duke of Edinburgh from the 15th September 1911 to the 17th January 1912 when he was promoted to Ordinary Seaman and continued to serve aboard HMS Duke of Edinburgh from the 18th January to the 14th September 1912, when he was promoted to Able Bodied Seaman, continuing to serve aboard HMS Duke of Edinburgh from the 15th September to the 5th December 1912, he then served aboard HMS Victory I from the 6th December 1912 until the 19th February 1913, HMS Albemarle from the 20th February until the 2nd July 1913, then HMS Dryad from the 3rd July 1913 to the 1st February 1914, and finally HMS Lynx where he served from the 2nd February 1914 until the 9th August 1915 when he was lost at sea, when his ship was sunk by a mine explosion in the Moray Firth, Scotland.
The background information, and circumstances relating to how Alfred lost his life are as follows; HMS Lynx was part of the response to the German bombardment of Scarborough on the 16th December 1914. At 05:15 she sighted the German destroyer SMS V155, and summoned her destroyer squadron to investigate. The brief skirmish took place with a force of German destroyers and cruisers, and HMS Lynx was hit several times by German shells. She sustained minor damage to a propeller, and had one man wounded. HMS Lynx left Cromarty with two half divisions of the Fourth Destroyer Flotilla on the 15th December 1914 and she encountered a German destroyer. HMS Lynx was hit by gunfire as she gave chase and her forward magazine was flooded. Her steering gear jammed and the rest of the force made the error of following her, thus ending the pursuit. On the 9th August 1915 HMS Lynx struck a mine off the Moray Firth and sank. The ship was, at the time, serving in the North Scottish waters. Seventy men, including Commander Cole, were lost. Four officers and twenty two ratings survived. The mine had been laid by the German raider Meteor.
On Saturday, August, 21st, 1915 The Leicester Daily Post published the following article under the heading. “LEICESTERSHIRE AND THE WAR.” – LOCAL CASUALTIES. – ALFRED FORD, A.B., seventh son of the late Mr. Thomas Ford, builder, Broughton Astley, is officially reported missing in the sinking of H.M.S. Lynx in the North Sea. He was 21 years of age, and had been five years a sailor. His mother resides at Broughton Astley.