Pte. Ford Beverley Curnow
British Army 1st Battalion South Lancashire Regiment
from:Wallasey
(d.31st May 1940)
My father Ford Curnow was born 12 July 1908 and was persuaded by his mother to join the Army Reserve in the South Lancashire Regiment to "keep an eye on Wilfred", his older brother who had already joined. There is a photograph of him with the 1st Battalion, South Lancashire Regimental Band in Sonnenberg Camp, Germany dated 1929. He married my mother Evelyn Jones on 14th October 1937 and was called up for permanent service to The Prince of Wales Volunteers on 1st September 1939. He was reported Missing in Action on 31st of May 1940, subsequently reported killed in action at Dunkirk on the same date.
Family hearsay is that his brother Wilfred passed Ford who was in a foxhole with a machine gun, and told him they were falling back. Ford's response was "it's a piece of cake". Wilfred was advised that his brother was in trouble and returned to find Ford blown to pieces. Shortly afterwards, Wilfred was invalided out of the army.
Montefiore's admirable book about Dunkirk says that some units of the British army were ordered to fight to the last man to keep the corridor open to allow the British Army to retreat to the beaches - an incredible example of self-sacrifice. It would interesting to know if Ford and Wilfred were in one of those units.
Ford left 2 daughters, and now 5 grandchildren, 6 great grandchildren and 2 great, great grandchildren and counting. I would love to let them know the full story of Ford's heroism.
