2nd Lt H A Boyd 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers
2ND BATTALION THE ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS
HAROLD ALEXANDER BOYD was the only son of Alexander James Boyd, M.D., The Manor House, Ware, Herts, by his marriage with Constance Mary, elder daughter of B. C. Berkeley, of Collett Hall, Ware.
He entered the School in 1908, and left in 1912. He was a member of the Swimming VI in 1910, ’11, ’12, winning Dr. Dukes’s Cup and the Royal Humane Society’s Medal. He was in the Shooting VIII in 1911, ’12, and in the Running VIII in 1912.
In April, 1913, he joined the Second Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers on the Special Reserve of Officers, and did his training at Alder-shot. In October of the same year he entered Trinity College, Cambridge, joining the Medical School, and passed his first M.B. Examination at the end of his first year, June, 1914.
He went out to France with the First Expeditionary Force. During the forward movement in the Battle of the Marne River, on September 7th, 1914, the Battalion was moving out at Crécy to take up outpost duty when they were suddenly attacked by artillery at long range. He was killed instantly by shrapnel. Age 19.
Source : Memorials Of Rugbeians Who Fell In The Great War Vol 1
BOYD, HAROLD ALEXANDER, 2nd Lieut., 2nd Battn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, only s. of Dr. Alexander James Boyd, of The Manor House, Ware, co. Herts (who served for 13 years in the 1st (Herts) Vol. Battn. Bedfordshire Regt., and retired as Capt. in 1902), by his wife, Constance Mary, dau. of Brackenbury Comyns Berkeley, of Collett Hall, Ware, and grandson of the late Samuel Boyd, of Merton, Killiney b. at The Manor House, Ware, 19 Jan. 1895 ; educ. at the Preparatory School, Castle Park, Dalkey (co. Dublin), Rugby, and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was studying medicine at the time of mobilisation and had passed his first M.B. examination at the end of his first year.
He had joined the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers in April, 1913, as a Special Reserve officer, and was called up for service and at first put on Coast Defence duty at Lough Swilly, co. Donegal, being afterwards sent to France on 31 Aug. He was killed in action at Crecy, 7 Sept. 1914, during the Battle of the Marne ; unm.
Corpl. W. Poots wrote : ” On the morning of Monday, 7 Sept., we were reinforced by a draft of a hundred men from the depot in Ireland under Lieut. Boyd, and continued the advance all day. In the evening the Inniskillings had to find the outposts at a village to which we had come—on the right being an open road with a row of apple trees, and on the left a clear open plain. In the distance, about 1,000 or 1,200 yards, was a broad belt of woods and shrubs, from which came rifle and big gun fire. This took us by surprise. We lined out and retaliated, but their shelling was terrific, and we had no artillery with us. Our officers were trying to find the range and had no cover from the shells, thus exposing themselves, notably Mr. Boyd, who was standing by an apple tree by the right of the road. He was struck on the body by shrapnel and killed instantly ; also Private Cousins, and 14 wounded. We continued all night in this position. In the morning the enemy had retired.” 2nd Lieut. Boyd was a fine athlete, gaining his colours at Rugby in football, swimming, shooting and cross-country running ; and he also won the Royal Humane Society’s medal and Dr. Duke’s cup or life-saving competition. At Cambridge he was a member of the First Trinity Boat Club, and in 1915 he won the swimming championship of his regt. at Aldershot.
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1