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 railway boiler washer, born in the April quarter of 1858 in Dunton Bassett, Leicestershire (son of Jonathan Ford (Foard), 1831-1911 and Harriet Hall, 1837-1874) and his wife Jane (Mary Jane) Ford (nee Brooks, married on the 14th December 1876 in St. Mary’s Church, Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire district), born in the January quarter of 1852 in Bruntingthorpe, (daughter of John Brooks, 1811 and Ann Hales, 1813). Thomas William was born in the October quarter of 1893 in South Wigston, Leicestershire, he had one sibling, Jonathan Ford Brooks, a railway storekeeper, born in the October quarter of 1876 in Bruntingthorpe and baptised on the 2nd December 1876 in St. Mary’s Church, Bruntingthorpe and also on the 29th April 1877 in All Saint’s Church, Dunton Bassett, in March 1901 the family home was at 45, Glen Gate, Wigston Magna, Leicestershire. In April 1911 Thomas was employed as an apprentice carpenter and was residing in the family home at 45, Glen Gate, Wigston Magna, together with his father, a boiler washer and his mother. Thomas also had two older siblings, Tom Ford, born in the July quarter of 1878 in Dunton Bassett and baptised on the 30th September 1878 in All Saint’s Church, Wigston Magna and Matilda Ford, born in the October quarter of 1879 in Wigston and baptised on the 6th August 1882 in All Saint’s Church, Wigston Magna. In the January quarter of 1916, Thomas married Florence Annie Robinson in the Blaby, Leicestershire district, Florence was born on the 31st March 1894 in Wigston and baptised on the 8th July 1894 in All Saint’s Church, Wigston Magna (daughter of George P. Robinson, 1869 and Caroline Parker, 1868), the family home was at 36, Moat Street, Wigston Magna.
Thomas’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Leicester. Date not known.
Joined. On a date and location not known.
Posted. To Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment (Sherwood Foresters). Date not known.
Allotted. Service number. 70444.
Posted. 2nd Battalion Nottinghamshire & Derbyshire Regiment. Private. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France. Date not known, but after the 31st December 1915.
Wounded in action October 1916.
Admitted to the 34th Casualty Clearing Station located at Grovetown, France, where he died of his wounds on the 18th October 1916.
Buried in. Grove Town Cemetery, Meaulte, France.
Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Thomas had nominated his wife Florence as his sole legatee.
On the 14th June 1917, Thomas’s widow Florence was awarded a weekly Army Pension of thirteen shillings and nine pence, to commence on the 25th June 1917.
Died of wounds in the 34th CCS, France, on the 18/10/16.
The War Diary records: 15 Oct-16 – MONTAUBAN. N.32.D.8.4. At 5.35am. Our guns opened fire which was the signal to attack.
At 6.45am. All telephone wires having been cut, an orderly returned and reported our men were digging in, in front of the gun pits.
At 7.00am. A message was received from Company Sergeant Major ROWE, “D” Company stating that the gun pits had been captured and that Major E. R. STREET, D.S.O., had been badly wounded in the abdomen during the early morning.
At 7.30am. Officer Commanding, gun pit party (2nd Lieutenant BYLES) reported by runner objective taken without casualties but several casualties since from snipers and enemy machine guns about 150 – 200 yards to his front. About this time Captain E. H. BACKHOUSE was sent up to take over command of “D” Company and to report on the situation. The party assaulting the new German trench did not gain their objective owing to enfilade machine gun fire and casualties so they dug themselves in about 40 yards North of the gun pits.
11.00am. The Commanding Officer went up to the front line to see the situation for himself.
At 2.00pm. The Commanding Officer returned and asked Brigade for a reinforcement of 2 Platoons and 2 Lewis Guns be sent up from Support Battalion tonight.
3.00pm. Orders were received for all the gun pits to be connected up and a communication trench dug to the rear to join up with CLOUDY TRENCH. At the same time a fire trench to be dug around the gun pits to connect up with the right of CLOUDY TRENCH. One Company 11th LEICESTERSHIRE REGIMENT (Pioneers) and 1 section ROYAL ENGINEERS would assist.
6.00pm. No report having been received from Captain BACKHOUSE the Commanding Officer again went up to the line and was severely wounded between the gun pits and CLOUDY TRENCH. Officer casualties for the day.
Lieutenant Colonel C. J. W. HOBBS, D.S.O. Wounded.
Major E. R. STREET, D.S.O. Wounded.
Captain H. E. BACKHOUSE. Killed.
Lieutenant G. S. TAYLOR. Killed.
2nd Lieutenant S. M. WILLIAMS. Killed.
2nd Lieutenant J. BUNTING. Wounded.
Captain and Adjutant F. E. JONES assumed command of the Battalion.
The War Diary records: 16 Oct-16 – Front and support trenches were heavily shelled during the night and gun pits were connected up and fire trench and communication were dug and connected with CLOUDY TRENCH, but rather shallow in places.
All trenches except gun pit trench were heavily shelled during the day.
Orders were received for the Battalion to hand over a part of the trench held by the right Company to 16th Infantry Brigade, to take over a small piece of trench to our left from 18th Infantry Brigade. This was done after -?-.
Earlier this morning before dawn the Platoons of “D” Company in gun pit trenches were relieved by “A” Company and withdrawn to the close support trench.
After dark parties were organised to assist in consolidating the new front-line and communication trench and a section of ROYAL ENGINEEERS assisted by “C” Company successfully placed wire in front of the new trench.
Received orders that the 9th SUFFOLK REGIMENT will relieve us tomorrow night and the Battalion would go back to support trenches.
The War Diary records: 17 Oct-16 – Lieutenant Colonel SHERBROOKE and four Company Commanders 1st Battalion visited the trenches held by the Battalion being as the 1st Battalion are taking over in a day or twos time.
The 9th Battalion SUFFOLK REGIMENT relieved us in front-line, relief was completed at 1.35am. The Battalion then took up a position in support line trenches at N.32.D. Lieutenant A. S. CLEVELAND killed.