Current Information:

Age-34

Born-Clerkenwell

Aubigny Communal Cemetery, France

Between 1918 and 1920 an influenza pandemic, sometimes referred to as Spanish Flu, affected all parts of the globe, resulting in the deaths of up to 100 million people world wide. The combatants in the First World War were not immune to the disease and in fact because of overcrowding and the movement of troops, were probably more susceptible than other groups. There have been many suggestions and hypothesis as to where it began but recent investigative work has pinpointed the base hospital, troop staging and training complex at Etaples on the French coast as being integral to the spread of the disease. Between 5% and 10% of those who contracted the illness died and somewhat curiously it affected young adults, those of military age, more acutely than other age groups. Military records show that at times entire units, battalions, brigades etc, were affected and it accounted for many of the deaths among all service personnel during 1918.

One victim of Spanish flu was Douglas Heaford who died in France on 7th March 1918 while serving with the 4th Coldstream Guards, the pioneer battalion of the Guards Division.