Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Matthew Sharratt Ford, Corporal, 2595, Australian Machine Gun Corps. Matthew was the son of Alfred Ford, JP, and Fanny Ford (nee Williams), of Ivycot, Abermule. He decided to emigrate to Australia, embarking at London aboard the SS Omrah on 6 December 1912, and disembarked at Melbourne. Matthew then became a sheep shearer at Killarney, Coogee, New South Wales. He enlisted into the Australian Imperial Force at Liverpool, NSW on 16 May 1915, joining the 8th Reinforcements for the 3rd Battalion, AIF, and embarked at Sydney with the unit aboard HMAT Runic on 9 September 1915. The unit disembarked at Alexandria, after their voyage through the Suez Canal, and on 2 November 1915 Matthew was among a number of men sent as drafts to the 3rd Battalion at Gallipoli. The Gallipoli troops were evacuated soon afterwards, and Matthew went back to Alexandria with the 3rd Battalion, and on 12 March 1916 he was posted to the newly formed 1st Brigade Machine Gun Company. On 22 March 1916 his unit embarked for Marseilles, and moved with the 1st Australian Division to the Western Front, to positions near Armentieres. The Division was sent to the Somme in July, and saw heavy fighting at Pozieres and Mouquet Farm. Matthew was hospitalised in October, suffering from Scabies, re-joining his unit two weeks later. The 1st Division followed the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in February 1917 and in April 1917 took part in the Battle of Bullecourt. Matthew was wounded at Bullecourt, being shot in the shoulder, and was evacuated to the 3rd Field Ambulance before being sent to No 3 Stationary Hospital at Rouen. On 20 April he was transferred to England and treated at the 1st Southern General Hospital. He then enjoyed two weeks leave before returning to duty, joining the Australian Depot at Weymouth on 29 May. On 26 June Matthew embarked at Folkestone for France and on 8 July re-joined his battalion in time to take part in the Passchendaele offensive. In February 1918 there was some re-organisation of units in France, and Matthew’s unit became part of the 1st Battalion, Australian Machine Gun Corps, still attached to the 1st Australian Division, which was near Merris, in Flanders. On 9 April 1918 the Germans launched the second phase of their Spring offensive in the area, and the Australians became caught up in desperate fighting near Merris. Matthew was killed in action here on 17 April 1918, aged 27. He is buried in Le Grand Hasard Military Cemetery, Morbecque, France.