Marmeduke William Todd was born on 13 October 1895, the son of draper’s traveller John Marmeduke Todd and his wife Mary Ann, nee White. At the time of the 1911 census the family were living at 18 Norwood Avenue, Shipley, and 15-year-old Marmeduke was a draper’s assistant. On the 11 August 1916, as part of their coverage of the Battle of the Somme, the Shipley Times & Express reported: “Pte Marmeduke W Todd, Army Medical Corps, son of L Cpl J M Todd and Mrs Todd of 95 Bradford Rd, Shipley, has been awarded the Military Cross.

“Recently he received a communication from the Major General commanding the division to which he is attached to the effect that it had been reported to him that Pte Todd had distinguished himself by his conduct in the field on the 6th July. “He had received the report with much pleasure and had brought it to the notice of his superior officers. “It appears that four men were carrying wounded soldiers out of the trenches when a shell came

over and buried them all but one. Another was able to get out and they dug out the third but the fourth and two soldiers who were being carried on stretchers were killed. “Pte Todd joined the forces in September 1914 just before he was 19 years of age. He was formerly associated with St Paul’s Sunday School, Shipley. “His father, who is in the 2nd Bradford Pals, was wounded whilst acting as a stretcher bearer on July 1st and is at a hospital in

Manchester. L Cpl Todd used to be in the Bradford Rifles Band and he was in the band of the second Pals.” At some point Marmeduke trained to be a chemist because that is given as his occupation on the marriage certificate when on 3 October 1921 in Wakefield, he married telephonist Kathleen Tuffin, the daughter of a Salvation Army Officer. In 1939 the couple were working together, Kathleen assisting his position as dispensing chemist in Denton in Lancashire. And by the time of his death on 21 February 1960, they had moved to 221 Church Road, St Annes.