Audrey Gatward’s Father
I don’t know a lot about my father’s war time service. I know he wasn’t sent overseas and when we were children we use to tease him about this.
My father married my mother, Kath, in 1923 and during the war they were obviously sweethearts as I have a lovely collection of cards they exchanged at the time which declare their love and affection for each other.
From the information on these cards I can piece together little bits and pieces about father’s time in the army. He was called up in December 1916 and I think he served in 5th Battalion 52nd Northumberland Fusiliers (“The Fighting Fifth”) and was stationed at Rugeley Camp in Staffordshire and also at Durham.
He had his 19th birthday whilst in the army and was discharged on his 21st Birthday on 15 January 1919.
Before the war father worked at Holwell works in the wages office, he returned to them after the war and worked in the central control office, he retired in 1963.
The original exhibition display: William Wilford
