Pte
William John Ward
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 10/07/1886 |
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Place of birth: Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Brushmaker |
Army information
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Country: Northern Ireland, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 43410 |
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Enlistment place: Bethnal Green, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom |
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Units: — Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 1st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 13/08/1917 |
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Place of death: Passerelle Farm, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 31 |
Memorial
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Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial Panel: 22Q |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal — 30/09/1920 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 30/09/1920 |
Points of interest 2
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place |
My story
William John Ward was born in 1886 in Bethnal Green, Middlesex. He was the eldest child of John William and Sarah Annie Ward. Before enlisting into the military, William Ward worked as a brush maker. In 1916, William married Florence Harper and his daughter, Iris Florence Ward, was born.
William initially enlisted into the London Regiment but by the Battle of Passchendaele he served in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Innskilling Fusiliers, part of the 87th Brigade of the 29th Division. On 12 August 1917, William’s Battalion took over frontline trenches along the Steenbeek stream, west of Langemark. The 1st Inniskillings occupied positions in the right sector of the 87th Brigade, roughly between Pinson and Ruisseau Farm. The other bank of the Steenbeek stream was dominated by Passerelle Farm. This position had been consolidated on the previous day and twelve wooden bridges had been erected across the stream. On 13 August 1917 a German patrol was driven off from an advanced post across the Steenbeek after a brief encounter.
On the 13th of August 1917 the 1st Inniskillings suffered five casualties, while holding the line at Passerelle Farm. Three men were wounded and two men of the Battalion went missing. These two men were 31 year-old Private William John Ward and 22-year old Private Francis Cullen. They disappeared on the fateful day and were never seen again. Both men were later declared killed in action and are remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
William initially enlisted into the London Regiment but by the Battle of Passchendaele he served in the 1st Battalion of the Royal Innskilling Fusiliers, part of the 87th Brigade of the 29th Division. On 12 August 1917, William’s Battalion took over frontline trenches along the Steenbeek stream, west of Langemark. The 1st Inniskillings occupied positions in the right sector of the 87th Brigade, roughly between Pinson and Ruisseau Farm. The other bank of the Steenbeek stream was dominated by Passerelle Farm. This position had been consolidated on the previous day and twelve wooden bridges had been erected across the stream. On 13 August 1917 a German patrol was driven off from an advanced post across the Steenbeek after a brief encounter.
On the 13th of August 1917 the 1st Inniskillings suffered five casualties, while holding the line at Passerelle Farm. Three men were wounded and two men of the Battalion went missing. These two men were 31 year-old Private William John Ward and 22-year old Private Francis Cullen. They disappeared on the fateful day and were never seen again. Both men were later declared killed in action and are remembered on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial.
Sources 5
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"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 49-56. Sources used |
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Ancestry https://www.ancestry.com/ Further reference |
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CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/912970/ward,-william-john/ Sources used |
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The Long, Long Trail https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/ Sources used |
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War Diary Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, 1st Bn. http://www.nmarchive.com/ Further reference |