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 butcher, born 1855 in Dunton Bassett, Leics., and his wife Elizabeth Ford, born 1858 in Clifton, Warwks. Thomas was born in 1898 in Dunton Bassett, Leics., his siblings were, Frederick, a bricklayer, born 1880, Edward Ernest, a bricklayer, born 1882, Ada, a Griswold knitter, born 1885, William, a builder’s carter, born 1886, Ellen, born 1889, Walter, born 1890, Horace, born 1892, Alfred, born 18th January 1894 and Harold, born 1895, the latter nine siblings were all born in Dunton Bassett, Leics., George Henry, born 1900 in Broughton Astley, Leics., in April 1901 the family home was at Broughton Astley, Leics. In the third quarter of 1901 Thomas’s father died aged 46, in the Lutterworth, Leicestershire registration district. In April 1911 Thomas was employed as an errand boy and was residing in the family home at Dunton Road, Broughton Astley, Leics., together with his widowed mother and siblings, Ernest, a bricklayer, Ada, a hosiery trade worker, Nellie, a hosiery trade shirt maker, Horace, an apprentice carpenter, Harold, a hosiery trade worker, George, a schoolboy and Elizabeth, a schoolgirl, born 1901 in Broughton Astley, Leics.
The War Diary for today records that the Battalion were in the Front Line. An uneventful day on our immediate front. The enemy attacked Flesquieres on our left in the afternoon, but was driven back. The attacking troops suffered heavily under our artillery and Machine Gun fire. The trenches occupied by the Battalion are in a very incomplete condition. Practically no cover at all for the men, and trenches very shallow, and unprotected by wire. Enemy attack expected at any time so all energy concentrated on wiring and deepening trenches. Men beginning to show signs of wear and tear owing to the prolonged time in the trenches and morale not improved by constant changes of position, mostly towards the rear. Casualties, other ranks A Company 1 wounded, C Company 2 killed and 1 wounded.