A new stone commemorating the military service of Mansfield soldier Driver Albert Henry Ward will be unveiled at a special ceremony at the Mansfield’s Heroes Memorial at Carr Bank Park, Mansfield, on Saturday, 22nd July at 11am.

The ceremony marked the end of a long journey for his family as they finally saw recognition for the soldier, who died from tuberculosis contracted while serving his country during the second world war.

Albert Ward who lived on Leeming Lane North, Mansfield Woodhouse, joined the Army for three years in 1929 at the age of 18, then when war broke out ten years later he signed up again.

In September 1939, Albert was sent to France with the British Expeditionary Force. He was transferred to RASC and served with it until being rescued from Dunkirk.

Albert later saw active service in North Africa, where he was wounded and hospitalised in May 1943. On discharge from hospital, he was sent to Italy three times, Egypt, Syria and Palestine, Greece and Austria.

In May 1945, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, hospitalised in Italy until February 1946, taken to Chester military hospital in the UK and then discharged in September 1946 as permanently unfit for any form of military service, with 100% pulmonary tuberculosis.
He died on 26th November, 1948, aged 37, in Ransom Wood Sanitorium, just outside Mansfield.

As Albert died after the war, his name does not appear on any roll of honour for military personnel, even though his cause of death was directly attributable to his service and active duty in the war.

Albert’s granddaughter, Karen Dowsing, of Mansfield, who had been trying for many years to get recognition for her grandfather, approached Mansfield’s Heroes Memorial Fund to see if his name could be added to the 10 other Servicemen from the district already commemorated at the memorial.
After the positive response, she said: “I’m so proud of him and I find this all really touching.

“It has taken me so long to get him commemorated and it has been a long road, but now everything that is being done for him makes it all worthwhile.”
A spokesman for the heroes memorial fund said: “Mansfield’s Heroes Memorial exists to pay tribute to those from Mansfield and District who have paid the ultimate price because of their military service.

“The main wall of the memorial carries the names of those killed in action since the end of the second world war, while the two rose gardens either side are dedicated to those who died due to service but cannot be featured on the wall.

“We are honoured to be able to pay respect to Driver Ward and the price he paid for defending his country by placing a stone bearing his name in one of the rose gardens.

“He fought through virtually the entire second world war and his death was clearly due to that service.
“As such it is only right that he is remembered.”

The ceremony to recognise Driver Ward will include the laying of wreaths by his relatives and the Mayor of Mansfield, Kate Allsop.
The Last Post will be played and members of the Royal British Legion will lower their standards as a mark of respect.

Veterans, services’ personnel and members of the public are invited to attend the ceremony and are asked to arrive not later than 10.45am at the memorial, which is at the Bath Lane end of Carr Bank Park.