William Bickford

Honour roll location: Pillar 4B

Family tragedy

Losing a son to the war was a tragedy many parents had to suffer during World War One. For the Bickford family, the devastating loss of three sons out of four became their sad reality.

William Bickford was the first of his brothers to enlist. He was the second youngest son in his family and was 22 when he signed up in September 1914.

He was posted as missing, then records show he was listed as killed in action on the 11th of April 1917 near Bullecourt in France.

Resources:

• “A PARENT’S SACRIFICE… A Ravenswood Family”, The Bendigonian, 16 Aug 1917, p. 2
• Bickford William, Bendigo Roll of Honour
• Bickford William, Virtual War Memorial of Australia
• Embarkation roll: Private William Bickford, Australian War Memorial
• Enlistment records: William Bickford, Discovering Anzacs
• HONOURS AND AWARDS (RECOMMENDATION): William Bickford, Australian War Memorial
• “Members of the Trophy Team, G Company, 14th Battalion”, Darge Photographic Company collection of negatives, Australian War Memorial
• Nominal roll: Lance Corporal William Bickford, Australian War Memorial
• William Bickford, AIF project
• William * Bickford, AIF project
• Wounded and missing files: Corporal William Bickford, Australian War Memorial