WORLD WAR I
Bingham War Memorial
Service Record
| 483355 | Private George William Ward | Labour Corps | b.1885 |
| Medal Card | Awarded Victory and British Medals | ||
| Service Record | Service papers include form W3299 of 27th January (1916/7
– date unreadable?) requiring him to present himself again for medical
examination. His address was 36 Upper Street Rusthall. Form W3299 was sent to “a man who had offered himself for enlistment and was rejected after 14th August 1915, under provisions of Military Service Act 1916 (Session 2). He had attested on January 10th 1915. He may have been rejected on medical grounds – in 1917 he was classed B1. This was followed on 19 May 1917 by form W3509 (sent to men who had been called up but returned to their home on reserve). Address was now 32 Woodside Road Rusthall. He was required to present himself at Maidstone Barracks on June 4th 1917. A scrap of paper on file noted “Appeal pending” and records change of address from Woodside Road to High Street. He applied to the local tribunal for exemption on 12th ? 1917: (Application as to exemption Voluntary attested men): Local tribunal Tunbridge Wells case no 999 Date attested Jan 10th 1915 Occupation: Head Waiter, Spa Hotel Tunbridge Wells He had previously been in the same occupation at a different hotel. He was applying for conditional exemption and wrote: “As a P.S. man I have taken the place of another called up from munitions. I have devoted all of my spare time and spent money in cultivation of an allotment, and if I am called up time and money will be wasted beside the growing crops at present they are immature and I know no-one who will look after them.” Nonetheless he was eventually conscripted. He was sent form W3236 requiring him to report to Tonbridge on 26th June. “Endorsed claim lodged 12.6.17, verified” His attestation papers for 103rd Training Battalion [Royal Fusiliers]. 3rd July 1917 stated: Religion: C of E Height: 5’ 3’’ Profession : Waiter Next of kin: wife Annie (see below); address: 28 High Street, Rusthall [2miles west of] Tunbridge Wells. Record of service paper 3.7.17 gave his medical classification as B1 – could serve overseas, but only men of grade A1 were sent to fighting units. Service Record: Deemed to have been enlisted 24.6.17 Called up for service 3.7.17 Posted 103 TR Battalion 10.7.17 Transferred to Labour Corps 23.11 17 under authority of ACI (Army Council Instruction 1396 of 1917) Embarked Folkestone 11/2/1918 Disembarked Boulogne 11/2/1918 Posted 148 Labour Corps 14.2.18 1917; Disability form (did not claim a disability) dated 14/12/19 gave his address as Nottingham Road Bingham and noted he had Joined at Maidstone 3/7/17 Protection certificate 19 Dec 1919, address: Nottingham Road Bingham |
 Spa Hotel
2016 |
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| Long Long Trail web site | Non Combatant Corps After the passing of the Military Service Act in early 1916 it was decided to form a Non-Combatant Corps of conscientious objectors for work on roads, hutments, timber work, quarrying, sanitary duties and handling supplies. Eight NCC Companies existed by the middle of June 1916. The Labour Corps is formed Formed in January 1917, the Corps grew to some 389,900 men (more than 10% of the total size of the Army) by the Armistice. Of this total, around 175,000 were working in the United Kingdom and the rest in the theatres of war. The Corps was manned by officers and other ranks who had been medically rated below the "A1" condition needed for front line service.[George was graded B1]. Many were returned wounded. Labour Corps units were often deployed for work within range of the enemy guns, sometimes for lengthy periods. In April 1917, a number of infantry battalions were transferred to the Corps. The Labour Corps absorbed the 28 ASC Labour Companies between February and June 1917. Labour Corps Area Employment Companies were formed in 1917 for salvage work, absorbing the Divisional Salvage Companies. In the crises of March and April 1918 on the Western Front, Labour Corps units were used as emergency infantry. The Corps always suffered from its treatment as something of a second class organisation: for example, the men who died are commemorated under their original regiment, with Labour Corps being secondary. Researching men of the Corps is made extra difficult by this, as is the fact that few records remain of the daily activities and locations of Corps units. |
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| Roll of Honour | Served on the Western Front | ||
Family history etc
| George Ward | |||
| B. 1885 | Bottesford | ||
| Census 1891 | Living in Bottesford at 1 New Station Street Cottage with: Father: George Frederick Weston Ward, b. 1852 Sheephall, Stevenage Mother: Emma, b. 1857 Kimbolton, Hants Siblings: Annie, b. 1882 Pudsey, Yorks. Albert James, b.1883 Bottesford Emily, b. 1888 Bottesford Edith, b. 1890 Bottesford |
Railway Signalman |
Brothers Albert James and Walter (b. 1890) served in WW1 |
| Census 1901 | Living at George Hotel, 60 High St. Grantham with: Hotel Owner: William Fillingham Brother: Albert Ward |
Exhib. Billiard Marker Employer Page Boy |
 The magazine “Grantham Matters” identifies William (1842-1906) as owner of the George Hotel “. |
| Census 1911 | Lodging at 6 Orchard Cottages, Lincoln | General Hawker | |
| 1915 | Married Annie Bertha Swift 30/6/15 in Rusthall, Kent Children: Bruce George born 17/1/1916 Rusthall Audrey N born Mar qtr 1921 Tonbridge Richard MB born Dec qtr 1926 Bingham |
Annie (b. Cowley 1888) was the daughter of Richard and Agnes Swift. Her father was born in Oxton in 1849 and 1901 census shows him living in Portsmouth and serving with The First Rifle Regiment and 4th Oxfordshire Light Infantry. He was a sergeant major. By 1911 the family lived in Bingham and he was a School Attendance Officer. | |
| Electoral Roll | George was living in Bradshaw Cottages with his wife Annie Bertha from 1927. | ||
| 1939 Register | Living on Long Acre: George W Ward, b. 24 Jan 1885, married Annie B Ward, b. 19 May 1888 Three closed registers |
Milk Retailer Special Constable Messenger to Bingham R.D.C. A.R.P. No 45 Unpaid Domestic Duties Probably Bruce, Audrey, Richard |
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| 1946 | George William Ward, storekeeper was named in probate of George Frederick Weston Ward (father) in 1946. | ||
| 1964 | George died in Bingham in March 1964. | ||
| 1967 | Annie Bertha died at 1 Grove Road age 79: Her home was 15 Moor Lane | Widow of George William Ward domestic gardener | |