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WW1 Military Service - Cecil Guilford
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Cecil Guilford was born 9th May 1889 to Ann Elizabeth Guilford and was brought up by his grandparents William and Ann Guilford, as one of their family of 18 children, at Pleasant Valley, Geraldine where he was received his first education.
The family moved to Tarata in Taranaki and Cecil was enrolled at the Tarata school in June 1902. He left to work in March 1905 on the home farm and the following year, his father William died and with his mother Ann, sisters Dot, Alice and Hetta, moved to New Plymouth in 1911 and Cecil found work as a bus driver. War came and Cecil joined the Rifle Brigade of the Wellington Infantry as a Private on Oct 18, 1915 –
Medical Information: Height 5 feet 6 inches. Weight 11 stone 6 lbs. Chest measurement 34-38 inches. Complexion fair. Eyes grey. Hair fair. Eyes both 20/20. Hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs all normal. Limbs and chest well formed. Full movement of joints. Teeth fair; bottom teeth require attention. Free from hernia, varicocele, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, inveterate or contagious skin disease. Not vaccinated. Good bodily and mental health. Teeth only slight defect. Fit. Unit 1st WRB; No 10/3576 Cecil was posted to Trentham for Rifle Brigade training and left with the 9th Reinforcements Wellington Infantry Battalion, B Company on the “Maunganui” for Suez where he disimbarked Feb 12, 1916.He was almost immediately admitted to hospital, No 4 Annex X Heliopolis on 22/2/1916 with measles.
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On release, he was sent to Admin. Einer C1 Camp Ztown on Mar 9th (W30-34-r3881) He joined Battalion Samalia on the 18 th and embarked for France and Egypt where he served in the No 1 Field Ambulance until 24th Jun and four days later, joined the Battalion. He was up on a charge for carelessly discharging a rifle and had to forfeit 2 weeks pay on the 10th of October.
The 5th August the following year, 1917, Cecil got leave in England and returned to the battlefield on the 12th of August where he was attached to the New Zealand Infantry Camp Wing Reinforcement. His ability was recognised and was selected for officer's training on Oct 31st. He remained with this unit until Feb 2nd and then rejoined the Field Ambulance. On the 8th March he was admitted to CCS sick, discharged on the 21st and rejoined the Battalion where, on the 8th of March he was appointed Lance Corporal. (Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses
Wounded (date unknown); admitted to hospital on 24 June 1916 - shock. 13 December 1915 admitted to Tauherenikau Military Camp Hospital, with influenza.
The New Zealand division had been in the line in the Hebuterne area. There was a major attack by the Germans on April 5th 1918, and then followed a switch to the Lys area to the north. The Germans came very close to success and opened gaps to the Allied lines. New Zealand, Auustralian and British troops were quickly moved to restore the line, fill the holes and halt the onslaught. Cecil was posted “missing in battle”.
By the end of April the offensive had staggered to a halt but it's 40 day fury cost dearly – 239,793 on the British side, 348,300 on the German side. Cecil died of wounds he received on 4th May 1918 in Somme, France. Holding the line was the turning point in the war and a few months later, a flood of men and materials came from the United States and tipped the balance in the Allies favor. Cecil died on the 27th March 1918. He is honored on the Somme War Memorial along with his brother Walter, and in Taranaki, New Zealand at both Tarata and Inglewood.
Full Name: Lance Corporal Cecil Guilford
Rank Last Held: Lance Corporal
War World War I, 1914-1918 Serial No.10/3576
First Known Rank - Private; Occ: before Enlistment - Farmer
Next of Kin Mrs Guilford (mother), Tarata; later of Frankleigh Park, New Plymouth, Taranaki
Address on Enlistment: Egmont Street, New Plymouth
Body on Embarkation: New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Embarkation Unit 9th Reinforcements Wellington Infantry Battalion, B Company
Embarkation Date: 8 January 1916; Place of Embarkation Wellington, New Zealand
Transport HMNZT 37 Vessel Maunganui
Destination Suez, Egypt Nominal Roll; No 21;
Last Unit Served: Wellington Infantry Regiment
Place of Death France; Date - 4 May 1918 Cause of Death: Died of wounds
Commemorated at GREVILLERS (NEW ZEALAND) MEMORIAL Location: Pas de Calais, France; Casualty No. 448
Ref: Search: www.archway.archives.govt.nz for information about Cecil's Military Personnel File.
Src: Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington: Govt. Printer, 1917
Service Medals: British War Medal; Victory Medal.
| The first service at the Tarata Community Church was held on the 7th of May 1904. Thirty six men from the region served in World War One, six of whom died. After the war, the Paterson family installed a stained glass window in the church in remembrance of their son, David Paterson. On Anzac day 2015 a seedling grown from the Gallipoli oak in Christchurch was planted near the church in memory of the six men who had died. The seedling has beside it a memorial plaque which reads:
"We will remember/ Tarata Soldiers: James Burr 23/88 NZ Rifle Brigade 16/9/1916; Lionel Fougere 26/100 NZ Rifle Brigade L/Corporal 16/9/1915; Cecil Guilford 10/3576 Wellington Infantry 4/5/1918; David Paterson 11/596 Wellington Mounted Rifles 2/Lieutenant 1/4/1918; Andrew Taylor 23/295 NZ Rifle Brigade Sgt. 23/6/1917; George Taylor 24/301 Otago Infantry Regiment 16/10/1917. They paid the ultimate sacrifice/ World War 1 1914 - 1918.
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