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Private William Garforth

Description

TitlePrivate William GarforthSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionWilliam was a new settler, being born 15 October 1886 at Idle, Yorkshire. His father was John Garforth, farmer of Pudding Hill Farm. At the time of enlistment William was working as a farm labourer for Mr W. Abbott at Southbridge. He was 5ft 8 1/2in tall with a tanned complexion, grey eyes and dark brown hair. His distinguishing mark was a scar on the left side of his jaw and an indistinct tattoo on his left forearm.

William enlisted on 8 September 1914 at Christchurch and was assigned to the Canterbury Infantry Regiment. He embarked for Egypt on 16 October 1914 with the Main body along with a number of other soldiers from Selwyn. He was amongst those who landed at Anzac Cove on 25 April and he was killed in action, aged 29, at sometime between then and 1 May 1915. As his body was never recovered, his name is engraved on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli. In New Zealand, William is remembered on the Southbridge Riding plaque of the Ellesmere County War Memorial.

The Lone Pine Memorial stands on the site of the fiercest fighting at Lone Pine and overlooks the whole front line of May 1915. It commemorates more than 4,900 Australian and New Zealand servicemen who died in the Anzac area - the New Zealanders prior to the fighting in August 1915 - whose graves are not known. Others named on the memorial died at sea and were buried in Gallipoli waters. The memorial stands in Lone Pine Cemetery. The original small battle cemetery was enlarged after the Armistice when scattered graves were brought in from the neighbourhood, and from Brown's Dip North and South Cemeteries, which were behind the Australian trenches of April-August 1915. There are now 1,167 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War buried or commemorated in this cemetery. 504 of the burials are unidentified. Special memorials commemorate 183 soldiers (all but one of them Australian, most of whom died in August), who were known or believed to have been buried in Lone Pine Cemetery, or in the cemeteries at Brown's Dip.First NameWilliamLast NameGarforthFamilySingleFather was John GarforthDate of Birth15 October 1886Place of BirthBolton, South YorkshireDate of Death25 April 1915Place of DeathGallipoliCause of DeathKilled in action Age at Death29

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CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageLeeston and Ellesmere County War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph

Military Service

Memorial or CemeteryLone Pine MemorialEllesmere County War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingFarm Labourer Enlistment Details8th September 1914 at ChristchurchService Number6/1077Embarkation16th October 1914CountryNew Zealand

Attribution

Researched ByL. M. Seaton

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Private William Garforth