Died: Woolwich Memorial Hospital
Address / Local links: 50 Lovel Avenue Welling
Family / Relatives: Son of John Henry and Caroline Daisy
Other Information: John Henry Wilford Jnr, a Telephone Parts Machinist / carpenter
The Wilford Mystery…
Most war memorials or commemorative panels have a few names which prove difficult to research with absolute confidence, and this one – JOHN WILFORD – on the St. Michael’s East Wickham Church memorial tablet has proved to be the case this time.
‘Wilford’ is not a particularly common surname, although sometimes war memorials do contain inaccurate details, or get Christian names mixed up – however, the East Wickham tablet seems to have been reliably accurate with all the other names…
This left our researcher with a few possible ‘Wilford’ options using the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website – however, none could be tied with any certainty to any local family of that name, despite many, many hours of research!
(We did at one point wonder whether this John Wilford may have been christened ‘John Henry’, but better known as ‘Henry’? This led us to an RAF airman – Henry Wilford – lost in a Lancaster bomber in April 1943, but again no local link could be established for certain..
John Henry Wilford of Welling 1923 – 1941
“However”, our researcher tells us, “On checking the Electoral Rolls I discovered that there was a Wilford family living at 50 Lovell Ave, Welling during and following the war.
John Henry (b. 1893), his wife Caroline (b. 1896), daughter Mildred (b.1919), a son John Henry (b. 1923) and daughter Doreen May (b.1930).
This son John died on the 22nd January 1941 in the Woolwich Memorial Hospital with complications due to pneumonia, he worked as a carpenter for the local council…”
These are the only known Wilfords that have been traced to wartime and post-war Welling…
So, our researcher went further, and obtained a copy of John’s death certificate, and discovered that he was buried in St. Michael’s graveyard on 27th January 1941 – so surely this must be our John Wilford?
The mystery remains, however, why this seventeen year old’s name was recorded on the panel – was he involved in the local civil defence service? Did his family have any military connections? Was he wounded in an air raid?
Sadly we may never know for certain – (we’re always hopeful that someone can enlighten us) but it’s hard to imagine that the name JOHN WILFORD can’t refer to anyone else?
The Wilfords of Welling The 1939 Register (pictured) tells us a bit more about the family, then living at 50 Lovell Avenue…Our young John Wilford was working as a Telephone Parts Machinist. His father, also named John Henry, was an ‘Electrical Fitter 2nd Class’.
We do know that this John Henry Snr was born in 1893 in Bromley and had served in the Royal Navy in WW1 and had subsequently trained as an electrician. He’d married Caroline (nee Ware) in 1916, and by the early 1920s they were living in Woolwich, before moving to Welling, probably in the 1930s.
(Our researcher has also discovered that John Henry Snr had served on HMS Ganges from October 1909 – Edward Ware, Caroline’s brother, had also joined HMS Ganges from August 1909 so maybe that’s how they met, and the family connections and marriage followed?)
John Henry Snr and his wife Caroline continued to live at 50 Lovel Avenue until the mid- 1950s. He died in 1965, Caroline in 1971. Both their daughters, Mildred and Doreen both lived locally after the war too – so surely this must be the family link to the local memorial – but why?…
Pictured are various documents relating to John Wilford and his family, including his burial record at St. Michael’s (note also the name Gordon Hibbert just above John’s – Gordon’s tragic story is also recorded on our website – https://www.ewt.org.uk/memorial-names/hibbert/)
From Ancestry we have a picture of John’s mother, Caroline and her brother Edward Ware (in navy uniform – again, another suggestion of military links?)
Other images show the Woolwich Memorial Hospital where John died, and St. Michael’s church where he is buried.
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If anyone is able to add any extra information, confirm this story as being accurate, provide more family details, or suggest any corrections, please let us know – also, if anyone has any more photos of this individual listed on our memorials, please get in touch. Thank you.
Commemorated
This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to John Wilford, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.