Rue-David Military Cemetery, Fleurbaix

NEWS ITEM in Jersey Evening Post of Thursday 4 January 1917

The Late Sapper R D Ward. The many friends and acquaintances of Sapper "Dick" Ward, a young Jerseyman who enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and who was killed on the field of honour in France during July, will read with interest the following letter received by the widow from the officer commanding his section. The gallant soldier married a Jersey young lady, Miss Elsie de ste Croix in Australia two months before he left for the Western Front. It will be seen by the officers statement that Sapper Ward died as a true Jerseyman showing the utmost courage and heroism. His young widow and son, who was born about the time of his father's death, will have the sympathy of everyone in their sorrow. The letter reads "France. 22 July. Dear Mrs Ward, It is with deep regret that I have to inform you of the death of your husband. Behaving so gallantly as he did under a murderous shell and machine gun fire I feel it my bounden duty to inform you of the facts of his glorious end, I must call it glorious for what finer a death can a man wish for than laying down his life for his Country. On the night of 17 July the 5th Australian Division in conjunction with an English one was ordered to attack the enemy and capture his front system of trenches. The duty allotted to my section was to cut a fire trench access across no-mans land, that intervening space between our own and the German trenches. From the moment we left the parapet we were subjected to extremely heavy fire, it was then that the superb qualities of Sapper Ward manifested themselves. He was the first one to rush out of cover and start his pothole, all around him were mown down by machine gun fire and really for a man to continue there on his own under such circumstances showed courage which none could excel. Unhappily the machine gun caught him and he died in the arms of an NCO. Throughout the whole proceedings his conduct was admirable, cool, calm and self-composed, a soldier every inch of him. He was a man in whom I placed my utmost faith and the entire section mourns his loss. My heartfelt sympathy for your sad bereavement. I am, Madam, THOMAS A FARR".

Australian service records