24th October 1889 - 21st August 1918 (age 28)
Shoeing Smith 25536
18th (Queen Mary's Own) Hussars
The following inscription appears on a gravestone in St. Oswald's churchyard,
Sowerby:
In loving memory of
John William Ward
Beloved Husband of
Rachel Ward
Of Sowerby
Who Passed Away July 27th 1922
Aged 62 Years
Also William Ward
Son Of The Above
Who Fell In Action Near Bapaume France
August 22nd 1918
Aged 28 Years
Also Rachel Widow Of The Above
John William Ward
Who Passed Away January 15th 1929
Aged 71 Years
John William Ward was a railway signalman living in Sowerby with his wife
Rachel, and their three children, John Robert, Mary Elizabeth and William.
Their youngest child, William was admitted to Sowerby Infants School on
18th September 1893 and he moved to the Junior School on 9th December
1895. At the time of the 1911 census, he was shown as a visitor at his
parents' house and his occupation was village blacksmith, own account.
William enlisted into the army as a shoeing smith at Thirsk presumably
making use of his previous trade as a blacksmith, and by February 1915
he was already serving overseas. There being little value for cavalry
in the static trench warfare which had developed, the 18th Hussars became
a dismounted cavalry but William appears to have retained the rank of
Shoeing Smith. William was killed in action on 21st August 1918, his remains
were located in a battlefield grave near to the village of Courcelles
Le Comte and moved to Achiet-Le-Grande, Communal Cemetery Extension, plot
111.H.4.
William Ward's grave at Achiet-Le-Grande
The information on this page was compiled by Steve Billings.
Information about William Ward on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Information about William Ward (Achiet-Le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension) on the War Graves Photographic Project website
Information about William Ward (St Oswald's churchyard) on the War Graves Photographic Project website