Frank
served continuously from March 1915 until the final
published roll call in Chailey’s parish magazine in July 1919. The National Archives lists two numbers for him: 5/3110 and 240819 (the new number he was assigned when the Territorial Force
was re-numbered in 1917). He almost certainly enlisted with Erle Bristow of Chailey as the two men’s numbers
are virtually identical. Erle’s
numbers with the 5th Royal Sussex were 5/3109 and later, 240818.
The
1901 census of England and Wales notes a 13 year old Frank Ford living in
Chailey village with his widowed mother Elizabeth Ford (aged 55 and earning a
living through cleaning – or “charing”)
and two brothers: John Ford (aged 15) and George C Ford (aged 26). All three sons are noted as agricultural
labourers and all three are noted as having been born in Chailey.
Frank
and John Ford were cousins of Archie, Ashley, Aubrey and Harry Tapp (Elizabeth
Ford’s maiden name was Tapp and she was the sister of the Tapp Brothers’
father, Joseph). A John Ford also
appears in Chailey’s parish magazine as does an F Ford and either or both of
these men may be related to Frank Ford and/or the Tapp brothers.
Frank Ford's partial; service record survives as a burnt document in WO 363. Possibly the most interesting paper amongst those that survive is a letter from Frank's employer, Albert Turner & Son, timber merchants of Nutley, Uckfield. This badly damaged single page, sent to the Ministry of Labour and requesting Frank's discharge from the army confirms that he worked as a sawyer with the company before 4th August 1914 and cites him as a corporal serving with No 13 platoon, D Company, 5th Royal Sussex Regiment.
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