HEARD, Roy Frederick
| Service Number: | 4805 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 5 September 1915 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 54th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia, 1898 |
| Home Town: | North Ryde, Ryde, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Sydney Technical High School, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Papermaker |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 19 July 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Ration Farm Military Cemetery, la Chapelle-D'Armentieres Plot VIII, Row D, Grave No 12 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ryde Public School Roll of Honour, Sydney Technical High School WW1 Roll Of Honour |
World War 1 Service
| 5 Sep 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4805 | |
|---|---|---|
| 8 Mar 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4805, 2nd Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '7' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of England embarkation_ship_number: A15 public_note: '' | |
| 8 Mar 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4805, 2nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of England, Sydney | |
| 19 Jul 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4805, 54th Infantry Battalion, Fromelles (Fleurbaix), --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4805 awm_unit: 54th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-07-19 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Sydney Technical High School
Roy Frederick Heard was born and raised in North Ryde, NSW, Australia, in 1898. He lived on Wicks Road, North Ryde, where he is believed to have spent most of his life. Raised as a member of the Church of England, he lived with his mother and father, Nellis May Heard and Fred Bailey Heard, and his 4 sisters: Helen Donaldson Lane Pearse, Lilly May Heard, Myrtle Mary Heard and Nellie Gladys Heard. (1) Heard attended Ryde Public School during his youth. After completing junior school, Heard attended Sydney Technical High School before the war, before starting his career as a papermaker. Heard was single upon enlistment. Heard was also presumable a member of the Church of England, likely due to his background.
Heard first enlisted on 5 September 1915, falsely claiming that he was 21 (he was 17). He also claimed that he had three years of experience in the 19th Infantry, Citizen Military Forces. He embarked on 8 March 1916 aboard the HMAT A15 Star of England as a part of the 2nd Battalion, 15th Reinforcement to Egypt. (3) After serving in Egypt for just over a month, on 20 April 1916, he joined the 54th Infantry Battalion at Ferry Post. The 54th Infantry Battalion was part of the AIF’s "doubling" process. Half of the battalion consisted of veterans from Gallipoli, while the other half, including Heard, were recruits from Australia.
Heard and the 54th Infantry Battalion embarked for France and the Western Front on 19th June 1916. On 19 July 1916, the 54th Battalion fought in the battle of Fromelles. The battle was disastrous for the battalion, as they were part of the initial assault and suffered heavy losses, with more than 50 percent of the fighting force being lost on the first day. This was also the day that Roy Frederick Heard lost his life.
Heard’s final rank was Private, and he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He is commemorated on three memorials: the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Ryde Public School Roll of Honour, and Sydney Technical High School WW! Roll of Honour. He was buried in the Ration Farm Military Cemetery (Plot VIII, Row D, Grave No.12), La Chapelle d’Armentieres, France.
References
Virtual War Museum, PTE Roy Frederick HEARD, Anonymous UNSW Australia,
The AIF project, PTE Roy Frederick Heard, Anonymous
Ken Stevenson, Research on Google Drive
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