Heard, Charles John – Born: Sudbury, Suffolk in 1889. Parents: John William Heard of Long Melford (Rag and Bone Merchant) [see his military record below] and Caroline Ann [née Pilgrim] (Lodging House Keeper).  Family Connections: Brother to James Henry [1890]. Home: 1 Spooners Yard, Church Street, Sudbury, Suffolk (1891), Military Barracks, Fullwood, Preston, Lancashire (1901) Military Barracks, North Tidworth, Wiltshire (1911). Occupation: Soldier [1901 to 1917]. Married: Mary Kate O’Mahoney in 1905. Service Record: Charles served as Pte.6391 with 1^st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiment from 1901 to 1912. He re-enlisted on 3.9.1914 as Sgt.W/852 with 13^th [Service] Battalion, Cheshire Regiment, being posted to France on 25.9.1915 as part of 74^th Brigade, 25^th Division.  Sergeant Heard was entrenched on Vimy Ridge on 15.5.1916 when he received a gunshot wound to his right arm, resulting in him returning to England for treatment. On 30.11.1917 he was issued with a Silver War Badge and discharged as being ‘no longer physically fit for War Service’.[1]

Heard, Charles Miller – Born: Hatfield Peverel, Essex in 1893. Parents: Edwin George Heard of Long Melford (Station Master) and Mary Carver [née Miller].  Family Connections: Brother to Edwin George Heard [b1886]. Home: 43 Benton Street, Hadleigh, Suffolk (1901), lodging with Patrick Cooper at 53 Springfield Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (1911). Occupation: Pupil Teacher (1911). Service Record: Charles enlisted in September 1914 as Pte.2226 of 1/5^th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, being posted to Suvla Bay, Gallipoli on 10.8.1915 as part of 163^rd Brigade, 54^th [East Anglian] Division. Within days of landing his unit made a successful attack against Turkish positions on Karakol Dagh, which was held by the Allies until the end of the campaign. The Division was evacuated on 6.12.1915 from Anzac Cove, Gallipoli to Egypt. Early in 1917 members of his battalion were given new service numbers, in Heard’s case N^o.240469. On 24.1.1917 he was discharged from this unit and granted a commission as Second Lieutenant,[2] being posted to the Western Front and attached to 8^th [Service] Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment as part of les112^th Brigade, 37^th Division.[3]  Died: Charles was killed in action on or around 10.4.1917 near German lines at Moncy le Preux during the First Battle of the Scarpe.[4]  He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial [bay 6], Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France and the War Memorial, Hadleigh, Suffolk.[5]

Heard, Edwin George – Born: Brampton, Suffolk in 1886. Parents: Edwin George Heard of Long Melford (Station Master) and Mary Carver [née Miller]. Family Connections: Brother to Charles Miller Heard [b1893]. Home: Railway Station, Hatfield Peverel, Essex (1891), 43 Benton Street, Hadleigh, Suffolk (1901), Military Barracks, Ambala, Punjab, India (1911). Occupation: Railway Clerk (1901), Soldier (1911). Service Record: Edwin enlisted as Pte.9881, of 2nd Bn, The King’s [Liverpool] Regt, posted to the North-West Frontier of India from April 1915. By 1920 he had been promoted to Sergeant attached to the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders.[6] Died: on 17.6.1920 of Nephritis, buried in Poona [St Sepulchre’s] Cemetery [plot A, grave 274], Poona, India.[7]

Heard, George Edward – Born: Sudbury, Suffolk on 14.11.1885.[8] Parents: Frederick Heard (Bricklayer) and Susannah [née Downey] of Long Melford. Family Connections: Brother to Harry Heard [b1883]. Home: North Street, Sudbury, Suffolk [1886], living with Matilda Downey (Grandmother) in St Marys Street, Long Melford (1891), 21 New Street, Sudbury (1901), 92 Westbourne Street, Chelsea, London (1911), 25 Chesham Street, Belgrave Square, London [1916], 52 North Street, Sudbury [1919], Crown Inn, Hall Street, Long Melford [1920], Fernlea, Old Station Road, Wadhurst, Sussex (1939).  Occupation: Helmet Maker’s Assistant (1901), Joiner and Picture Framer (1911), Turf Accountant’s Agent (1939). Married: Ethel Maud Lawrence in 1911. Service Record: George was conscripted on 2.5.1916 as Pte.27665 with the Royal Flying Corps and posted to France from 16.10.1916 to 30.7.1918.  On 1.4.1918 he transferred to the Royal Air Force, receiving his discharge in April 1920.[9] Died: Wadhurst, Sussex on 25.2.1940.[10]

Heard, Harry – Born: Sudbury, Suffolk on 7.11.1883.[11] Parents: Frederick Heard (Bricklayer) and Susannah [née Downey] of Long Melford. Family Connections: Brother to George Edward Heard [b1885]. Home: 57 North Street, Sudbury, Suffolk (1891), 3 Tidworth Street, Hackney, London (1901), 30 Fitzalan Street, Lambeth, London [1907], 76 Eastbourne Mews, Paddington, London (1911), 9 Walnut Tree Lane, Sudbury [1916]. Occupation: Milkman (1901 and 1911). Married: Alice Jane Mott [d1915] in 1907.  Service Record: Harry was conscripted on 30.11.1916 as Gnr.134221 with the Essex and Suffolk, Royal Garrison Artillery, transferring on 11.3.1917 to 404^th Siege Battery, RGA. He was posted to France from 9.8.1917 with 278^th Siege Battery, RGA, as part of First Army, being injured by gas shell poisoning on 9.4.1918 and invalided to England for recovery three days later. Gunner Heard was transferred to the Army Reserve in February 1919.[12]

Heard, James Henry ‘Harry’ – Born: Sudbury, Suffolk in 1890. Parents: John William Heard of Long Melford (Rag and Bone Merchant) [see his military record below] and Caroline Ann [née Pilgrim] (Lodging House Keeper). Family Connections: Brother to Charles John Heard [b1886]. Home: 1 Spooners Yard, Church Street, Sudbury, Suffolk (1891), 54 Church Street, Sudbury (1901), Military Barracks, Egypt (1911).  Occupation: Labourer [1908], Soldier (1911). Married: Marie Louise Focquenocy in 1916. Service Record: Harry enlisted in 1908 as Pte.7328 with 3^rd [Militia] Battalion, Suffolk Regiment, joining 1^st Battalion, Suffolks in 1907, being posted to in Egypt in 1911. No extant WWI record has been found; however, his wife was born in Poperinge in Belgium which may suggest that he served on the Ypres Front during the Great War.[13]

Heard, John William – Born: Long Melford, Suffolk in 1858. Parents: John Heard [Mat Weaver] and Harriett [née Turner]. Family Connections: Father of Charles John Heard [b1885] and James Henry [b1890]. Home: Lavenham, Suffolk (1861), The Green, Long Melford (1871), 117 Snowfields, Bermondsey, London (1881), 54 Church Street, Sudbury, Suffolk (1891 to 1911). Occupation: Mat Maker (1881), General Dealer (1891), Marine Stock Dealer (1901), Rag and Bone Merchant (1911). Married: Caroline Ann Pilgrim in 1882. Service Record: John enlisted on 21.8.1915 giving his age falsely as 48.  He served as Pnr.117268 with 3^rd Provisional Company, 6^th [Labour] Battalion, Royal Engineers, being posted to France on 3.9.1915.  He was issued with a Silver War Badge and discharged on 3.4.1916.[14]

Selected Notes – [1] British Army World War I Pension Records 1914-1920.  [2] Supplement to the London Gazette, 24.2.1917 p.1859.  [3] Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [4] For details of the battalion’s involvement with this action see War Diary [WO 95/2537/4].  [5] British Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 and Commonwealth War Grave Commission.  [6] Medal Roll [WO 329] and Medal Index Card [WO 372].  [7] British Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, 1901-1929 and Commonwealth War Grave Commission.  [8] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 27.2.1886, St Peters Church, Sudbury, Suffolk.  [9] Air Member for Personnel and predecessors: Airman’s Records [AIR 79/280].  [10] Date of death from the National Probate Calendar.  [11] Date of birth from the Baptism Register 27.2.1886, St Peters Church, Sudbury, Suffolk.  [12] For details of 278^th Siege Battery’s operations see War Diary [WO 95/222/7].  See also his Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].  [13] Soldiers’ Documents and Pension Claims, First World War [WO 364], where father’s name is given as Harry Heard.  [14] Soldiers’ Documents, First World War ‘Burnt Documents’ [WO 363], Silver War Badge [no.336005], Service Medal and Award Rolls 1914-1918 [WO 329], and Service Medal and Award Rolls Index Cards 1914-1922 [WO 372].