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Dvr. William Charles Todd
British Army att. 1st/3rd (South Midland) Field Ambulance Royal Army Service Corps
from:Plymouth, Devon
(d.15th Aug 1917)
My great grandad William Todd served in the First World War in Belgium, he is buried in the Dovinghem Military Cemetery. There is a plaque in Bristol Cathedral with his, and several others' names on it. I would like to find out why it is there. Unfortunately, there are no photos of William.
William was serving with the Royal Army Service Corps attached to the RAMC in Belgium near Hazebrouck in WWI and his role was horse transport driver of a field ambulance.
From what I can make out from reading the field officer's note for 14th/15th August 1917, my grandad was driving a field ambulance with another soldier, which was being pulled by four horses, when he received a direct hit from a shell which killed his crew mate and three of the four horses. My grandad was badly wounded and was sent by ambulance transfer to Dozinghem, where he was operated on, but died. He is buried in Dozinghem Military Cemetery in Belgium.
I visited the cemetery last year and it is a lovely place. I intend to go back next year with my son and his son, so three generations will visit the grave. Sadly, my father passed away in 2005 and will not be there to see a great site. If I can, I hope to track back to where my grandad was working from in the casualty clearing station in the Hazebrouck area. Should anyone have any further information on this I would be grateful.
I joined the army as a boy soldier in 1970 and left in 1977 to the reserve and asked to became an ambulance man in Minehead. I had no knowledge of my grandad's role in WWI up to now, but it would look like I have followed in his footsteps somewhat.
