Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Joseph Graves, a domestic butler, born 1865 in Weybridge, Surrey and his wife Louisa Graves (nee Ferguson, married on the 1st December 1897 in the Daventry, Northamptonshire district), born 1866 in Fewbridge, Ireland. Francis William Bond was born in the 4th quarter of 1898 in Weedon, Northamptonshire, in March 1901 the family home was at Guilsborough Hall, Guilsborough Street, Guilsborough, Borthamptonshire. In April 1911 Francis was residing in the family home in Little Dalby, Leicestershire together with his father, a domestic butler, his mother and sister, Kathleen, born 1906 in Exton, Rutland.
Francis was a chauffeur and enlisted as an ambulance driver, he was lent to the French Red Cross Society, and a parchment was sent to his mother from the French Government saying that, he distinguished himself in the most difficult and perilous situations with his great courage and untiring devotion to duty. He was mortally wounded by a bursting shell whilst undertaking the evacuation of wounded men from an advanced ‘Poste de Secours’. He was awarded two Croix de Guerre’s, both of which were treasured by his mother along with the parchment mentioned above.
On Friday November 15th 1918 The Melton Mowbray Times & Vale of Belvoir Gazette published the following article under the heading. “MELTON AND THE WAR.” – HONOURS FOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL BOYS. The announcement that Corpl. Walter Vickers, R.E., has been awarded the Military Medal will be received with much pleasure by old and present boys of the Melton Grammar School, where he was a keen member of the Boy Scouts. Corpl. Vickers is a son of Mr. G. M. Vickers, formerly of 42, Thorpe-Road, Melton, and now of Derby. The honour was awarded for splendid work done in connection with bridge building and the recipient is the fourth Grammar School Scout to have received a decoration for bravery in the field. Three had risen from the ranks to officerships and Corpl. Vickers was already marked for similar promotion before the signing of the armistice. Another old Grammar School boy, Driver Francis W. B. Graves, of the British Ambulance Section, attached to the French Army, son of Mr. Wm. J. Graves, formerly of Little Dalby, has been awarded posthumously, the French Croix de Guerre, with silver star. The citation which accompanied the award stated that Driver Graves “always displayed great courage and untiring devotion to duty. He has often distinguished himself in most difficult and perilous situations. He was mortally wounded by the bursting of a shell on the 19th October, whilst undertaking the evacuation of wounded men from an advanced poste de secours.”