Members of the family (and others with the surname BYARD) who served in the two world wars.
This is a new section and is being added to as information is acquired. The data referring to the war dead is taken from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission site www.cwgc.org
WW1
(i) Family members.
Thomas Byard and Arthur Byard are mentioned on
the memorial plaques in Wirksworth Parish Church.
|
William James Byard (1899-1985) |
William James Byard, my father, is mentioned on the memorial in Fullwood Church, Sheffield. During the war he served in the Lancashire Fusiliers, Regtl. No. 50011. He enlisted when he was 17, in the month before his 18th. birthday. He was wounded in the neck by shrapnel at the battle of Arras during the German Spring Offensive in 1918. He was sent to the field hospital at Etaples and then back to his regiment. In June 1918 he was gassed and again sent to hospital at Etaples. Then after rejoining his battalion he went down with influenza and was sent to hospital again, rejoining his battallion at the end of August 1918. Later on that year he was admitted to hospital again this time suffering from nuerasthenia (shellshock). His war record shows an entry for NYDN (not yet diagnosed nuerasthenia). He finally rejoined his battalion at the end of January 1919 He spent the last few months of the war at La Hestre in Belgium He was finally demobbed in October 1919. |
Company Sergeant Major Jacob Brooks, who married Martha Ellen Byard was decorated for his bravery. There is a splendid citation of his gallantry as well as a brief description of his life and ancestry on the web.
(ii) Others with the surname Byard who fought and died in WW1
|
Surname |
Rank |
Regiment |
Date of death and (age) |
Burial/Memorial Place |
|
Byard A.J. |
Pte. |
RAMC |
Dec.1.1917 (37) |
Metz-en-Couture Communal Cemetery British Extension, Pas de Calais |
|
Byard D.A. |
Pte. |
Aus.Inf.,A.I.F. |
May 2.1915 (27) |
Lone Pine Memorial, Turkey |
|
Byard F. |
Pte. |
Army Vet. Corps |
Dec.5.1918 (38) |
Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas-de-Calais, France |
|
Byard F.S. |
Pte. |
The King's (Liverpool Regt.) |
March 24, 1918 |
Noyan New British Cemetery, Oise, France |
|
Byard H. (DCM) |
2nd. Lt. |
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry |
Nov. 6 1917 (29) |
Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium |
|
Byard H. |
Pte. |
Worcs. Regt. |
April 13.1918 |
Ploegsteert Memorial, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium |
|
Byard H.E.K. |
Sapper |
R.E. |
Feb. 25 1919 (27) |
St. Sever Cemetery Extension, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France |
|
Byard J. |
Driver |
R.E. |
Jan. 14 1918 (24) |
Metz-en-Couture Communal Cemetery British Extension, Pas-de-Calais, France |
|
Byard O.C.W. |
Gunner |
Royal Field Artillary |
June 27 1917 (32) |
Deckebusch New Military Cemetery Extension, Ieper, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium |
|
Byard T. |
Gunner |
Royal Garrison Artlly. |
July 16 1917 (30) |
Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium |
|
Byard W.A. |
Rifleman |
Royal Irish Rifles |
Aug. 26 1918 (19) |
Arneke British Cemetery, Nord, France |
|
Byard W.E. |
Pte. |
Welsh Regiment |
Sept.1 1915 (23) |
Alexandria (Chatby) Military and War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt |
|
Byard W.H. |
Pte. |
South Wales Bords. |
Feb. 11 1917 (22) |
Birmingham (Lodge Hill) Cemetery, Warwickshire, UK |
|
Byard W.H. |
Deck Hand |
Royal Naval Reserve |
April 19 1917 (32) |
Plymouth Naval Memorial, Plymouth, Devon, UK |
WW2
(i) Family members.
Robert Edward Wardle (1924-1999), who married Celia Grace Byard, served in the Royal Navy as a telegraphist in the Far East during this war. He was wounded in the arm and leg by machine gun fire.
He was mentioned in a despatch for distinguished service. This was published
in the London Gazette on 10th. July 1945.
|
R.E.Wardle (1924-1999) |
.This is a transcription of a letter from Captain G.C.G.Robins to Robert's parents informing them of their son's wounding during the campaign against the Japanese in Burma. 30th Jan 1945 Dear Mr. Wardle, I expect you have heard officially by now that your son was wounded about 10 days ago. If not, I am sorry to have broken it to you so abruptly, but probably you will appreciate it more than a tactful beating about the bush. You will want to know first of all that he is quite allright and to the best of my knowledge he will not suffer any permanent disablement from what was, thank God, quite a light wound, though bad enough. I think you would like to know any details I can give you about how it happened and as far as I am allowed I will give them to you. Your son landed with me, as one of the three telegraphists in my party, in the first flight of a combined operation. |
On several occasions during the first few days things were a bit sticky, and on one of the first of these occasions we were all pinned down in open paddy fields by Jap machine guns. We were there for quite a long time without any cover at all, and I am afraid that Bob caught part of a burst in his right arm above the elbow, I think the bone may have been broken, but I do not know. He had to lie there for some time after it had happened before we could get covering fire from tanks under which we could get back into the jungle, and I should like to tell you that he behaved quite outstandingly well, without once complaining. The last I heard from him was that he was very comfortable and quite happy onboard one of the hospital ships. I expect that by now , he is back in India, and I know that he is being well looked after, so please don't worry about him unduly.
I have known him for some time now and he is a first class tel. in every way.
I shall do all I possibly can to get him back to my party as soon as we return to India, as I consider him one of the best chaps I have ever had to work with. Until then though, I do not think we will see him again as he has earned his rest for a few months.
I am sorry I did not write immediately, more especially as I know you must have been a bit worried, but I just have not had a chance to get a letter off until now.
I should like to add that I am terribly sorry that this has happened, but once again, please don't worry about it, because as I say, he is quite all right now.
Yours sincerely,
(signed) Gerald Robins
Jean Curtis (née Byard)
Jean joined the WRNS at Leeds Initial Training Depot-HMS Victory III, she was then posted to HMS Lizard (a stone frigate!) at Hove which provided a centre for the accommodation and drafting of crews for landing craft which were based at ports along the Sussex coast. It consisted of several hotels centred around Grand Avenue, the principal seaside residential area. Wren Byard was a secretary in the Captain's Office. She lived in the Kingsway Hotel.
With the closure of Lizard in 1945, Wren Byard was posted to HMS Northney I, a holiday camp on Hayling Island which had been used as a landing craft holding base for Chichester and Langstone Harbours. The Wrens lived in Flint House on the Havant side of the bridge onto the island.
In February 1946 HMS Northney was returned to civilian use and Wren Byard was drafted to HMS Collingwood between Fareham and Lee-on-Solent which was and still is the centre for training technicians in the RN. She was employed as a secretary in the Medical Department.
In January 1947 Leading Wren Byard was demobilised.
Jean married Ronald Curtis (who had served on HMS Loch Fada) in 1948. There is a very interesting account of Ron's time on HMS Loch Fada in the section headed World War II, HMS Loch Fada. A web-site devoted to Loch Fada is at www.hms-lochfada.org.uk
(ii) Others with the surname Byard who fought and died in WW2
|
Surname |
Rank |
Regiment |
Date of Death and (age) |
Burial/Memorial Place |
|
Byard A. |
Pte. |
Dorsetshire Rgt. |
Nov. 22 1944 (18) |
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany |
|
Byard A.V.H. |
Sgt. |
Royal Gloucs. Hussars |
May 27 1942 |
Knightsbridge War Cemetery, Libya |
|
Byard C.S. |
Pte. |
Australian Inf. |
May 15 1941 (25) |
Alamein Memorial, Egypt |
|
Byard H.T. |
Pte. |
Australian Inf. |
Oct. 23 1942 (30) |
Port Moresby (Bomena) War Cemetery, Papua New Guinea |
|
Byard J.H. |
Sgt. |
Royal Artillery |
June 7 1944 (43) |
Ranville War Cemetery, Calvados, France |
|
Byard I.F. |
Major |
Royal Engineers |
Dec. 2.1945 (39) |
Gloucester (Coney Hill ) Cemetery, Gloucester, UK |
|
Byard R.R. |
Rifleman |
Royal Ulst. Rifles |
Nov.5 1943 (32) |
Sangro River War Cemetery, Italy |