Name
Ormond William Woodford
29 Aug 1889
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/01/1918
29
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
M/321615
Army Service Corps
M.T.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BAGHDAD (NORTH GATE) WAR CEMETERY
XVI. J. 6.
Iraq
Headstone Inscription
EVER REMEMBERED HONOURED IN DEATH BY WIFE AND CHILDREN
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Elstree memorials, Not on the Borehamwood memorials, Central & West Wards, War Memorial, Hendon. Gr London,
Pre War
Ormond William was born on 29 Aug 1889 in Borehamwood to Ormond William Woodford, a coachman, and Eliza Charlotte Ann (nee Larcombe), they were living at Boreham Holt.
On the 1891 Census the family of Ormond Snr, Eliza and children Florrie and Ormond Jnr were living at the Lodge, Billington, Beds. By the 1901 Census the family address was Deerfield Cottages West Hendon. And the family had grown with the addition of Edith, Hilda, Albert, Arthur and Ellen. Ormond Snr was now a warehouseman at a mineral water factory. On the 1911 Census Ormond now 21 was described as a labeller. He married Winifred Alice Drinkwater on 24 April 1911 in Wiilesden. They were to have 2 sons, Reginal and Royston and 2 Daughters Doris and Edith.
Wartime Service
Ormond was classed enlisted (on Reserve) on 24 Jun 1916 but was not called up until 11 May 1917 at Cricklewood. His age was 27 and his occupation was a Motor Omnibus Driver. He gave his address as 14 Russell Road, West Hendon and opted for Army Service Corps, Motor Transport. As Private M/321615 he was posted to No 1 MT Reserve Depot, grove Park on 14 May 1917. On 22 Jul 1917 he was posted to Expeditionary Force Mesopotamia and left from Davenport arriving in Basra on 21 Sep 1917. On 5 Oct 1917 he posted to Mt workshops Baghdad (695 Coy) from the Reinforcement Depot Basra. His attachment to 15 Light Armoured Motor Battery, Machine Gun Corps began on 8 Nov 1917.
Ormond reported sick on 10 Dec 1917 and was hospitalised. He was diagnosed with severe Smallpox and transferred the Isolation hospital on 2 Jan 1918, dying of Heart Failure on 11 Jan 1918.
Additional Information
His widow, Mrs. W. A .Hitchens , "Rosemary," East St., Fine Dock, Sydney, Australia, ordered his headstone inscription: “EVER REMEMBERED HONOURED IN DEATH BY WIFE AND CHILDREN”. War Gratuity of £3 and arrears of £5 13s 9d paid to his widow and War Gratuity of 10s paid to his mother. Brother Arthur Reginald served in 2/19 (St Pancras) Bn, London Regt, being killed in action on 19 Sep 1918 at the Battle of Megiddo, Palestine.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper, Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild
