GUILFORD, Cecil
(Service number 10/3576)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank | Lance Corporal |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 09/05/1889 | Place of Birth | Pleasant Valley, Timaru (Geraldine) |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 18 October 1915 | Age | 25 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Egmont Streeet, New Plymouth | ||
| Occupation | |||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs GUILFORD (mother), Tarata,Taranaki. Later of Frankleigh Park, New Plymouth | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 9th Reinforcements Wellington Infantry Battalion, B Company | ||
| Date | 8 January 1916 | ||
| Transport | Maunganui | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Wellington Infantry Regiment | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal; Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 4 May 1918 | Age | 28 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | France (in the Field) | ||
| Cause | Died of wounds received in action | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Grevillers (New Zealand) Memorial, Pas de Calais, France | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Cecil GUILFORD was the son of William GUILFORD and Ann née BENBOW. Brother of Walter GUILFORD who was killed in action in 1918 at the Somme, & Robert GUILFORD who also served in WWI. Cecil's brother, Walterl, was killed in action just over five weeks earlier.
Family historian, W Griffin, comments: "Cecil Guilford was the illegitimate son of Ann Elizabeth Guilford and Robert Morrison of Geraldine born 9 May 1889 (likely Christchurch). In infancy, Cecil was with a nurse in Timaru then Oct 1890, was taken into care by Minnie Dean of Winton. Cecil was adopted by grandparents William and Ann Guilford May 1895."
Cecil was educated at Pleasant Valley School before bign admitted to Tarata School in Inglewood on 16 June 1902 after the family moved from Pleasant Valley to Tarata that year. From 1911 to 1914 he was living in Egmont Street, New Plymouth, his occupation being a bus driver.
On 18 October 1915 Private Groffin enlisted with the B Company, Wellington Infantry Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade. He gave his occupation as a farmer. Cecil embarked with the 9th Reinforcements for Egypt in January 1916. While serving Cecil forfeited 14 days pay for carelessly discharging a rifle on 16 October 1916. He had reached the rank of Lance Corporal whne he was killed in the field at the Somme in 1918.
Cecil left no evidence of a will. His medals were sent to his mother.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [17 September 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5539 0048358) [11 July 2014]; CWGC [17 September 2013]; CWGC [17 September 2013]; Taranaki Daily News, 15 & 16 October 1915, 15 August 1916, Manawatu Standard, 4 December 1915, Evening Post, 8 July 1916, Wairarapa Age, 10 July 1916, Taranaki Daily News, 12 July 1916, Wairarapa Daily Times, 12 February 1917, New Zealand Herald, 24 May 1918, Press, 24 May 1918, Timaru Herald, 1 June 1918 (Papers Past) [24 November 2013; 13 July 2014; 29 August 2015]; SCROll web submission by W Griffin, 14 Fenruary 2020
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