| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Wilford Senior was born in Huddersfield in 1888, the son of Thomas and Lavinia Senior. In 1911 Wilford was a soldier, living at Victoria Barracks, Beverley. He married Charlotte Ellen Gray of Beverley, on the 10 Sep 1911, his occupation was given as 'Soldier'.
At the time of his son Wilford's baptism on 30 Sep 1914, Wilford was already in France with the 1st Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment. The Battalion landed at St Nazaire on 10 Sep 1914, and after taking part in the first Battle of Aisne they marched on 25 Sep, to bivouacs just above Vendresse, where they stayed until 1 Oct. On 20 Oct 1914 the Germans launched an attack with considerable force the East Yorkshires sustained heavy losses, the 1st Battalion's casualties within 'other ranks' numbered 3 killed, 81 wounded, and 49 missing. Wilford was among the missing. It was almost two years later that his photograph appeared in the Beverley Guardian, dated 19 Aug 1916, stating that he had been "previously reported missing, now reported died on 20 Oct 1914".
He was awarded the British War and Victory Medals and is commemorated on the Ploegsteert Memorial to the Missing, along with more than 11,000 others who have no known graves. He is also listed on the Beverley War Memorial in Hengate.
In 1920 his widow Charlotte married John Robert Hunt, and they lived in Trinity Grove, Beverley.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |