People on board

FORD, Alfred Francis

Alfred Francis Ford was born on the 26th of November 1882 in Newark, Nottinghamshire to Francis Ford and Annie Hoe. He was the sixth of their eight children, six of whom were alive in 1911. Alfred attended Magnus Secondary School in Newark. Francis was a Coach and Motor Builder, with his own company, Ford & Co. at London Road, Newark. His eldest son, Andrew, continued the business and Alfred worked as a Wheeler for a couple of years before he joined the army.

Alfred enlisted at Lincoln in the Army Service Corps in March 1900 and immediately moved to Woolwich in London where he is found in the 1901 census as a Private. He extended his service in 1903 and was promoted to Lance Corporal and to Corporal in 1906. The following year he extended his service again to twelve years and was promoted to Sergeant in 1909. In August 1910 he married Sarah Beatrice Nurse from Notting Hill in London and they were together in Bulford Camp in Salisbury in the 1911 census. Sarah was listed separately, along with the other wives and children.

In July 1912 a daughter, Amy Beatrice, was born and their address then was Stebbing Street, Notting Hill in London. The following year Alfred was posted to Ireland where he suffered a severe leg fracture. On the 29th of December he was proceeding along the quays in Dublin enroute to Ringsend with nine coal wagons when his horse slipped and fell on the frost and Alfred fell underneath the horse. A subsequent military enquiry found that he was not to blame.

In March 1917 he was promoted Company Quartermaster Sergeant at Codford in Wiltshire but he was transferred back to Dublin in June 1918. He was presumably returning home on leave when he travelled on RMS Leinster on the 10th of October. He did not survive the sinking but his body was recovered and he was buried in Grangegorman Military Cemetery in Dublin. His belongings, including a pipe, a carving knife and steel and a silver watch, were returned to his widow in December 1919. She was granted a weekly pension of 24s 2d.

Alfred Ford’s name is recorded on the War Memorials in Magnus School, Newark as well as in St Mary’s Church and St Leonard’s Church in the town. His widow Sarah and child Amy were living in Canvey Island in Essex in 1939.