Private 300653 Samuel Reginald Ford

Died Egypt on Wednesday, 30th January 1918, age 20.
Buried in Grave B. 136. at Deir El Belah War Cemetery, Israel.

1st/1st Bn., Staffordshire Yeomanry. 22nd Mounted Brigade of the Yeomanry Mounted Division.
Formerly 3397 Staffordshire Yeomanry.

Son of Samuel and Sarah J Ford.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Stafford, Resident: Stafford.

First landed Egypt, 10th November 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/645594/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Samuel Reginald Ford registered September quarter 1897 in Dudley.

1901 Census
89 Horseley Heath, Tipton, Staffs.
Samuel Ford (34, Bridge Girder Plater, born Darlaston), his wife Sarah J. (32, Fancy Draper, born Dudley), and their 3 children: Alice I. (4, born Tipton), Samuel R. (3, born Tipton), Gordon J. (1, born Tipton).

1911 Census
120 Horseley Heath, Tipton, Staffs.
Samuel Ford (43, Draper, born Darlaston), his wife Sarah Jane (42, Assisting in the business, born Dudley), and their 4 children: Alice Irene (15, Apprentice to Millinery, born Tipton), Samuel Reginald (13, Junior Clerk at Galvanising Works, born Tipton), Gordon Jakes (11, School, born Tipton), Lilian (7, born Tipton).

Personal Data

The Commonwealth War Graves incorrectly records this man's initials as RS, whereas it is correctly SR - Samuel Reginald.

After Samuel's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £19/4/7d (19 pounds, 4 shillings and 7 pence); this was paid to his father, Samuel, in May and June 1918. His War Gratuity was £13/10/0d (13 pounds and 10 shillings), this was also paid to his father in November 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Samuel had enlisted in January 1915.

Action resulting in his death

The 1st/1st Staffordshire Yeomanry was a Territorial Army Cavalry unit. It had departed for Salonika in October 1915, but was diverted to land in Cairo. It served in Egypt and Palestine until May 1918.

On 27 October 1917, the third, final and successful assault on Gaza took place. The British force in Palestine now moved forward on two fronts, assisted by an Arab force sweeping forwards in the east. One column moved north from Gaza, the other from Beersheba. Jerusalem fell in December. Trooper Ford was to die from malaria a month after this success whilst his troop had been relieved from the action.
from 1914-1918.net

Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald 16th February 1918
YOUNG TIPTON YEOMAN'S DEATH.
The sad news has been received from Egypt of the death of Trooper Reginald Ford, of the Staffordshire Regiment, of malarial fever. He enlisted in January 1915, and had served through the Egypt campaign, and the battles in Palestine, leading to the taking of Jerusalem. He has received no wounds, but with his Company was sent for a rest cure a hundred miles from the fighting, when he was taken off with malaria, and succumbed on January 30th. Trooper Ford was a promising young man. He was the eldest son of ex-Councillor Samuel Ford of Great Bridge, a well-known resident.