South Yorkshire Times, October 24, 1959

Bolton Man’s B.E.M.

Receiving the British Empire Medal on Sunday, awarded to him in the New Year Honours List, will be Staff Sgt, Francis Henry Ward, of 1 Mexborough Road, Bolton. He will receive the medal, awarded for services in the Army, after a parade from the T.A. Centre, and a church service.

Sgt. Ward joined the Army in 1938, shortly after leaving school, and during the war he saw action at Dunkirk, in North Africa, Italy and Austria. He left the Army at the end of the war and worked in the pits for four years, then re-enlisted. In March he took a post as Permanent Staff Instructor to the Eighth Army Recovery Coy. R.E.M.E., T.A., at Mexborough.

During the war he was in the 11.A.S.C. 15th Tank Transporter Co. and was made a Sergeant in October,1943,

Sgt. Ward was born in Plymouth and worked on the docks there until he joined the Army. He moved to Bolton when he was married. He has two sons Malcolm and Alan.