From tanks in France to suitcases in Portarlington | Ireland.

My husband's grandfather was a motor mechanic before the war started. He joined the army because of the excitement of having a chance to go to France, and believing that the war was going to be short. When the war started he was sent straight to France where he was stationed in the supply corps from 1914 to 1917. While in France he was involved in the first retreat from Mons in 1914. In 1917 Henry Orford was transferred to the Tank corp in Bovington, Dorset, England. Here he was involved in experiments. An example of an experiment which he was involved in was the once-off experimental vehicle Pedrail land ship which was designed to drive over the trenches. In 1918 he was involved in the last battle of Ypres as part of the 1st Indian cavalry supply corps. After the war he saved his friend Sam Hammerslee from a tank explosion. He left the army in 1920 and he returned to work in his old job. Unfortunately, he was in an accident and lost his leg. He returned to Ireland in 1935. His friend Sam heard of his accident and offered him a new job as the manager of the Travel Goods Unlimited which was set up by the Odlums flour factory in Portarlington, County Laois, Ireland. Henry died in Ireland in 1966.
The items which accompany this story are numerous photographs of tanks taken by Henry Orford while in the tank corp and supply receipts which Henry received during the war. The photographs and the supply receipts were collected from 1914 to 1919. The supply receipts were collected from Ypres and France and the photographs were taken while Henry was stationed at Bovenington, in England.

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CREATOR

Carmel Orford

DATE

1914-08 - 1966

LANGUAGE

eng

ITEMS

1

INSTITUTION

Europeana 1914-1918

PROGRESS

START DATE
TRANSCRIBERS
CHARACTERS
LOCATIONS
ENRICHMENTS

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METADATA

Source

UGC

Contributor

europeana19141918:agent/4c134085daa3533f1f83888ce074df6d

Date

1966
1914-08

Type

Story

Language

eng
English

Country

Europe

DataProvider

Europeana 1914-1918

Provider

Europeana 1914-1918

Year

1966

DatasetName

2020601_Ag_ErsterWeltkrieg_EU

Begin

1914-08

End

1966

Language

mul

Agent

Sam Hammerslee | europeana19141918:agent/43b8ca9de0de39ae8c1430d21c59ceb0
Carmel Orford | europeana19141918:agent/4c134085daa3533f1f83888ce074df6d
Henry Orford | europeana19141918:agent/a3cfb165637f7173eee49baaabee349b

Created

2019-09-11T08:07:25.745Z
2020-02-25T08:02:56.749Z
2020-02-25T08:02:56.750Z
2014-08-13 16:03:08 UTC
2014-08-13 16:29:06 UTC

Provenance

INTERNET

Record ID

/2020601/https___1914_1918_europeana_eu_contributions_17304

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Last card sent to family in Ireland from William Wilby

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Brothers in Arms: From the farm to France

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Charles Fox (Berkshire Regiment) and William ‘Wilf’ Fox both served in the army during the First World War. Charles with the Berkshire Regiment and Wilf with the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Regiment. Charles and Wilf were my Great Grandmother's brothers. The brothers grew up in Aston, near Witney but the family believes they both served with their respective regiments in France. The family know very little about the two brothers and have found their histories difficult to trace. Sadly neither brother survived the war: Charles died on 22nd February 1918 and the family do not know the date that Wilf died. My grandmother had a few memories but she would only have been a very young girl at the time. The brothers were part of a large family of 13 children and both of them worked on the same farm in Aston, just outside Witney. It was the ‘done thing’ to sign-up for honour and for country. Wilf served with the Oxfordshire and Buckingham Light Infantry as a private (9604 service number according to War Graves Commission but no. 22485 W Fox is the number recorded on his campaign medals, the difference in numbers may possibly be because the numbers were later changed) . The medals, Death Penny and insignia badges have been passed down to me by my grandmother, who kept them in the wardrobe. I used to look at them when I was a boy and was fascinated by them. When my grandma passed away the medals and insignia were passed to me. I am very proud of the brothers’ contributions and for their service to the country and the war. I would have liked to have met them and to have learnt more about their experiences. Both brothers are commemorated at the Communal Cemetery at Metz-en-Coutere (British Extension) so we assume that they served in France. Charles has a headstone and Wilf is commemorated on a plinth. The photo shows my Grandmother visiting Charles headstone. || Medals in original envelopes – service and campaign medals (William Fox); Death Penny (For Charles Fox); Insignia for Royal Berkshire (Dragon) - Charles; Insignia for Oxfordshire (Horn) - Wilf. Photograph from visit to Charles' headstone

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Brothers in Arms: From the farm to France

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Medals in original envelopes – service and campaign medals (William Fox); Death Penny (For Charles Fox); Insignia for Royal Berkshire (Dragon) - Charles; Insignia for Oxfordshire (Horn) - Wilf. || Charles Fox (Berkshire Regiment) and William ‘Wilf’ Fox were my grandmother's brothers and both served in the army during the First World War. Charles was with the Berkshire Regiment, and Wilf with the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Regiment. They grew up in Aston, near Witney, but the family believes they both served with their respective regiments in France. The family know very little about the two brothers and have found their histories difficult to trace as sadly neither brother survived the war. Charles died on 22nd February 1918. The family do not know when Wilf died. My grandmother had a few memories but she would only have been a very young girl at the time. The brothers were part of a large family of 13 children and both of them worked on the same farm in Aston, just outside Witney. It was the ‘done thing’ to sign-up for honour and for country. Wilf served with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Regiment as a private (9604 service number according to War Graves Commission but no. 22485 W Fox is the number recorded on his campaign medals, possibly because numbers were later changed) . The medals, Death Penny and insignia badges have been passed down to me by my grandmother, who kept them in the wardrobe. I used to look at them when I was a boy and was fascinated by them. When my grandma passed away the medals and insignia were passed to me. I am very proud of the brothers’ contributions and for their service to the country and the war. I would have liked to have met them and to have learnt more about their experiences. Both brothers are commemorated at the Communal Cemetery at Metz-en-Coutere (British Extension) so we assume they served in France. Charles has a headstone and Wilf is commemorated on a plinth. The photo shows my grandmother visiting Charles' headstone.

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