Poppy In memoriam Poppy

Private John Ford

 

Ford 1

 

Private John Ford, 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers, Service Nos 772 (NIH), 41535 (RIF). Born and enlisted at Lisbellaw, County Fermanagh. Embarked for France on 20 August 1914 as part of C Squadron North Irish Horse. Transferred to the 9th Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers on 20 September 1917. Killed in action during a trench raid on 3 November 1917. Buried at Cambrai East Military Cemetery, Nord, France. Grave Location: VII.B.3. Extract from Battalion diary on that day:

At 4.30pm C Company left Ruyaulcourt and marched up to the line to carry out a raid. The enemy's front line was successfully penetrated from the Canal (K.26.d.05.95) to about 150 yards east of it. The fighting was very severe as the enemy refused to surrender. Our men stayed in the enemy trenches for twenty minutes and bayonetted and shot at least forty Germans. We suffered some 12 casualties, mostly from bombs: one Officer severely wounded, one Officer slightly wounded; one NCO killed, three Other Ranks missing believed killed, thirteen Other Ranks wounded, one R.E [Royal Engineer?] (NCO) severely wounded.

His gravestone inscription reads:

41535 PRIVATE

J. FORD

ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS

3RD NOVEMBER 1917

 

Ford 2

 

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