“I never knew my granny, who died when I was five, and my father died when I was 24. “He never spoke about Captain Walford because the stigma of suicide was so huge at the time. “My father was 22 years old when his father died and was serving in the army in India,” she said. With the help of nephew Nicholas, Pam set about researching Captain Walford’s history. I had no idea whose they were, but that’s what started it all.” “We opened the box and the medals fell out. “We just put it in the garage with the other belongings and didn’t look at them until five years ago. “When my mother died we cleared out her flat and found a small cardboard box,” she said. Pam Brooking – herself an Army widow – only discovered the truth as she was clearing out her mother’s flat. The sad story has been uncovered by a woman who knew nothing of how her grandfather fought so bravely in the Great War but then suffered a mental breakdown and took his own life. When he finally returned home, he was a troubled man, haunted by what he had seen.Ĭaptain Walford, who had volunteered to fight at the age of 45, shot himself dead on February 21, 1922.Īs a result his name does not appear on any war memorial, and he had to be buried outside the church graveyard walls. He survived Passchendaele and Fromelle, fought in France and Italy, and was awarded the Military Cross and bar.Īn inspirational officer, he led his troops in a series of daring actions he was shot and suffered shellshock.īut bravery took a terrible toll. They belonged to Captain John Osborn Walford, a brave Brummie who battled through the war’s bloodiest battles. These are the forgotten medals that hold the secret to a tragic tale of First World War heroism – and cruel prejudice.
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