Name
Thomas Herbert Heard
1873
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
15/03/1915
41
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
71
The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment)
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LONGUENESSE (ST. OMER) SOUVENIR CEMETERY
I. A. 61.
France
Headstone Inscription
NO PRICE IS YET TOO GREAT WHEN HONOUR AND DUTY ARE AT STAKE
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Bishop's Stortford memorials
Pre War
Thomas Herbert Heard was born in 1873 in Bishop's Stortford, to Thomas and Frances Heard. On the 1891 Census the family were living at West India Docks, Plumstead, London. He married Emily Harriet Eliza Griffen on 18 June 1899 at St Mary, Battersea, Wandsworth. He gave his occupation as a coffee house keeper and his address as 183 Battersea Park Road.
On 1911 Census he was living with his wife Emily and daughter Emily Florence at 32 Fleming Road, Walworth, London and working as a house painter.
Wartime Service
His name on the enlistment form is Thomas H Heard at the top and he signed at the bottom as Herbert Thomas Heard. He signed up aged 41 on 17 August 1914 and was posted on 7 September 1914 and was in France by 17 December 1914. He was promoted to Lance Corporal but lost his stripe because of misconduct (drunkenness). He died at St Omer, France of cerebro spinal meningitis on 15 March 1915.
Additional Information
His widow received a war gratuity of £3 and pay owing of 8s 4d for herself and 16s 6d for their daughter Emily Florence Elizabeth. His wife, Mrs E F Close, 36 Grey Street, Chatham, Ontario, Canada ordered his headstone inscription: "NO PRICE IS YET TOO GREAT WHEN HONOUR AND DUTY ARE AT STAKE". N.B. He is listed on CWGC and GRO official register as Thomas Herbert Heard but on some other documents is listed as Thos H Heard and Herbert James on Soldiers who died in the Great War.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
