Victor Offord - Lest We Forget

Victor Offord was born April 5, 1891 at Hartlepool, England. He came to Canada in 1910. He was the son of Alfred Offord, born June 1845, England, and Louisa Douse Offord born March 1850. They came to Canada in 1911. Alfred died in Revelstoke on December 12, 1927 at the age of 82 and Louisa Ellen Offord, died in Revelstoke on April 26, 1933 at the age of 83. Victor had two brothers, Frederick born June 1881 and William born October 1885 and a sister, May Elizabeth born August 1882. May married William Belcher in Revelstoke in 1913.

Victor Offord signed his enlistment papers on May 8, 1916 at Revelstoke. His regimental number was 490646. He was 25 years old, single, 5’ 5 ½” tall with light brown hair and blue eyes. He was working as a blacksmith. His religious affiliation was Anglican. He was medically examined by a local doctor, W.H. Sutherland.

Victor Offord died July 25, 1917. He was 26 years old. At the time of his death he was a Private with the 124th Canadian Pioneer Battalion, Canadian Pioneers.  He is buried at the Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, France.

A letter from Victor’s commanding officer to his mother was printed in the August 23, 1917 edition of the Revelstoke Review and said, in part:

“…Your son had endeared himself to our ranks by his cheerful disposition, and had made a name for himself as a thoroughly reliable soldier by his unswerving devotion to duty, under any circumstances, and in the face of any danger. He was instantly killed by shell fire on the night of July 25th, when on his way with a working party to carry out a certain piece of work.”

Victor's brothers Fred and William also served in the war. Fred was almost 41 and a widower when he enlisted April 20, 1917 at Revelstoke. William Offord was wounded around the same time as Victor’s death. After the war William and Fred farmed in the Mount MacPherson area.  Fred Offord died in Revelstoke in 1953 at the age of 75 and William Offord died in Revelstoke in 1980 at the age of 95.

The name of Victor Offord is inscribed on the Courthouse and Cenotaph plaques.