Victor Ford

Biography

Victor Ford was born in 1911 in Weston-super-Mare, England. His mother had five children whom she loved but was unable to support by herself. Victor would spend time in a workhouse for children and after his mother’s death in 1925, he was sent to Canada as a British Home Child. He worked on a number of farms in Ontario before reaching adulthood.

Ford enlisted in the Canadian Army at Dunnville, Ontario in August 1940 at the age of 27. He would ship out to the United Kingdom in October 1942. After undertaking further training there, Private Ford would be sent to North Africa in 1943 and then fight in Italy with the 48th Highlanders of Canada. He saw heavy action in the Italian Campaign, being wounded several times and having to spend time in military hospitals. The dangers of his duties weighed heavily on Ford and he wrote in a letter home to his sweetheart Grace:

“Yes I only trust your prayers will be answered as I want to return and settle down for some happy years to come, but God only knows if any of us will be spared. It is danger every second and goodness knows when we will be out of this...”

In the late fall of 1944, Ford’s battalion was called on to take part in an attack in northern Italy. Private Ford lost his life in heavy fighting there on 15 December 1944. He was 33 years old and is buried in the Ravenna War Cemetery. Ford left to mourn Grace and her son Elmore, with whom he was very close.

Where they participated

Photo provided by British Home Children Advocacy & Research Association (BHCACA), photo source: from Amber Bannister, family of Victor Ford