Background
David James Lifford was born 1877 in Cork, Ireland, to Ellen Mary Hurley and David Lifford Sr. Although Ellen and David married one another in Fredericton, January 28, 1869, the family spent time in Ireland and England because of David’s work and his service with the British Imperial Army. Few records detail much about his work other than showing that he was a butler at the Government House residence and that all his children were born in either Ireland or England. The Liffords were a large family of eight children, including William, Mary, Harry, Elizabeth, Louisa, Joseph, John, and David, and they occupied a residence at 272 Regent Street. Once old enough, the younger David eventually left Canada and found work in the United States, settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts. While working as a teamster in the local coal industry he met a young woman named Elizabeth Kenney and they married October 3, 1911. While newspapers do indicate that he had a child with Elizabeth, she would contract pneumonia prior to the war and succumbed to the illness in 1915. A few months after the start of the war, David began making his way from Boston to England by the early summer of 1915. Records appear to show that David had previously served with American units in Havana, Cuba, before 1914 and that he had experience through his father’s connections and service with the British Imperial Army. This might account for him wanting to go directly to England rather than enlist with Canadian units in New Brunswick. A more likely reason for him wanting to go directly to England was that his brothers, John, Joseph, and Harry, had all begun enlisting and were already heading overseas. In 1915, David was approximately thirty-eight years old.
Wartime Experience
Private David Lifford left Boston, Massachusetts July 15, 1915 aboard the S.S. Bohemia on route to Liverpool, England. Documents suggest that his work as teamster made him an important asset to the military because he knew how to handle and work with horses. It is not surprising to find in documents that the American Government had asked him to help deliver horses to the Allies from the United States. After arriving, David spent three months in England training with the Imperial Army’s 3rd Kings Liverpool Battalion before arriving in France November 19, 1915. As a member of the Imperial Army, there were limited military records attesting to his service, however, newspapers at the time paint a vivid image of his time once in the field. David spent the winter of 1915-1916 in the trenches and then took part in the Battle of the Somme between July and November 1916 in France. He and his brothers would have a rough introduction. John was killed June 9, 1916 while fighting with the 26th Battalion in Belgium and never found again, while Joseph was forced to return home after suffering from injuries in the field. To make matters worse for the family, on September 13 the Daily Gleaner reported that David had gone missing during action on August 8. A year went by before family received word that he had been taken prisoner and was being held in a German prison camp. As the war continued and little new information of his whereabouts were known, family began believing the worse had happened and started to mourn his death. Their father, David Sr., would pass away June 9, 1918. As late as August 1918, two and a half years after being taken prisoner, documents suggest that many had given up hope of finding him alive. However, with the end of the war in sight, the Red Cross reported to family that they finally had been able to make contact with him in Germany. A few months later, a letter from King George confirmed David’s release and repatriation to England:
“The Queen joins me in welcoming you on your release from the miseries and hardships, which you have endured with so much patience and courage. During these many months of trial, the early rescue of our gallant officers and men from the cruelties of their captivity has been uppermost in our thoughts. We are thankful that this longed far day has arrived and that back in the old country you will be able once more to enjoy the happiness of a home and to see good days among those who anxiously look for your return.”
Private Lifford was formally discharged in April 1919 and returned home to Fredericton to be reunited with family. Now almost forty-three years old, David had experienced much during the war including the loss of his wife, a brother, two brothers injured during the war, and having to deal with his own scars. Newspapers report that he eventually moved to Saint John with his child and found work with the Christie Woodworking factory. Here he met a young woman named Madelaine Lavina Birch and they married one another a year later, September 20, 1920. At some point on January 6, 1921, while working his shift as a night-watchman at the factory David would suffer a heart attack. Around nine o’clock that evening, newspapers reveal that 2 police officers found him alive in the boiler room and had gone to get an ambulance and a doctor. However, when they returned, he was no longer alive. As the coroner stated that there were no signs of struggle or violence, it appeared to be a case of heart disease. David’s brother, Joseph, would make funeral arrangements two days later on January 8 and return his body to Fredericton. David Lifford was approximately forty-five years of age at the time of his death, leaving behind his wife and child.
Lest We Forget
Private David Lifford is buried with honour at the Fredericton Heritage Cemetery in Fredericton, New Brunswick. The cemetery is located off the Woodstock Road and is situated along the Saint John River.