Cecil Yard of Barbados: A soldier in the Royal Army Medical Corps and Royal Engineers, 1915 to 1918

By John D Ellis

From the Newry Telegraph, 23^rd March 1915:

Amongst the volunteers offering themselves at the Old Town Hall, Belfast, was a coloured native of Barbados, West Indies. He gave his name as Cecil Yard and he stated that he had arrived on board the Penrith Castle about a fortnight ago. As he fulfilled all the military requirement he was accepted for the Royal Army Medical Corps and expects shortly to be drafted to Newry.^[1]Newry Telegraph, 23^rd March 1915 and Belfast News-Letter, 23^rd March 1915.

Cecil Yard was born at Barbados, West Indies c.1891 (although he gave a variety of different ages to different organisation). He enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) at the Old Town Hall, Belfast on 22^nd March 1915. On enlistment he was twenty-four years and 3 months of age, a cook by occupation and 5/6 and ½” tall. His physical development was described as “fair”. His civilian address was 208 Partridge Street, Cardiff. He named his father as next of kin: William Yard of Bibby Lane, St Michael’s Parish, Barbados. Given the number #54296 he served in the rank of private. All his service with the RAMC appears to have been spent in Newry, (Armagh). He was discharged on 17^th April 1915 “not likely to become an efficient soldier”, para 392 (iii) c KR (King’s Regulations). This referred to a soldier who was found unfit for service within three months of enlistment, having passed inspection by a medical officer but failing to meet military standards. Typically, this included medical reasons, intelligence or educational limitations or misconduct. The annotation “Med.Gds” suggests that medical grounds were the reason for discharge, although his records do not reveal any.

Was being ‘coloured’ considered a medical condition by the RAMC? More likely it reveals the arbitrary nature of the application of the ‘Colour Bar’, as Private Joseph Guy, born in Barbados and resident in Liverpool, served as a stretcher bearer in the RAMC during WW1.^[2]For Joseph Guy see: www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/black-history-month/untold-stories-black-families-first-world-war

Despite his ‘medical condition’ Cecil Yard re-enlisted in the Royal Engineers (Inland Water Transport) at Cardiff on 8^th September 1916.

Cecil Yard’s links to Wales (and indeed Liverpool), dated from January 1911 and possibly earlier:

Holyhead: Negro Fined:- At a special Police Court, on Tuesday, before AF Pearson and Mr RJ Edwards. Cecil Yard, Liverpool, a black sailor, was fined 2s 6d for being drunk in the town the previous night. PC Fair (18) proved the case.^[3]Holyhead and Anglesey Herald, 13^th January 1911.

On enlistment in the Royal Engineers he was recorded as being nineteen years of age, a ship’s steward (employed by the Union Castle line), unmarried and declared that he had previously served in the RAMC. His next of kin was given as his father; William Yard of Barbados. Given the number #350620, he served in the rank of sapper (pioneer was also noted). He served at Home (i.e. Britain and Ireland) 8^th September 1916 to 11^th October 1916 and Mesopotamia (Iraq) 12^th October 1916 to 15^th April 1918.  The Inland Water Transport (IWT) branch of the Royal Engineers was formed in 1914 to operate, maintain, and repair barges, tugs, and boats. Sappers transported vital food, ammunition, and medical supplies while assisting with front-line construction and bridge repairs along the waterways of France, Belgium, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. Whilst serving in Mesopotamia he was hospitalised with tuberculosis and sent to Colaba, (Bombay/Mumbai) India to recover:

States he was never troubled with his chest until the month of September 1917 whilst on service in Mesopotamia. He became troubled with sore throat and difficulty in talking due to hoarseness.

His condition not improving, he was invalided to India as a case of pulmonary tuberculosis and declared unfit for further service. He was then transferred to hospitals at Cape Town, South Africa and, from April to June 1918, Camberwell, England. Discharged, no longer physically fit for war service, according to para 392 (xvi) KR, his pension started on 22^nd May 1918 and ran for 26 weeks. His discharge address was given as 43 Loudoun Street, Docks, Cardiff. (The address was a Seamen’s Lodging House).

Cecil Yard died on 13^th November 1918 and was buried in a Commonwealth war grave in Saint Matthew’s Anglican Church Cemetery in the parish of St Michael, Barbados.

It was customary for service personnel who subsequently died due to injuries and diseases to receive military funerals and be buried in official war graves. According to ancestry.co.uk and findmypast.co.uk Cecil Yard was awarded the Silver War Badge, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The medals were not claimed by his family.^[4]For more on Cecil Yard see https://www.historycalroots.com/cecil-yard-royal-engineers-pioneer-corps-199705/

Cecil McDonald Yard: It is possible that Cecil Yard also went by the name Cecil McDonald Yard. At Cardiff, in September 1907, a baby named Cecil Yard was born. The birth certificate gives the father’s name as Cecil Yard and the mother’s as Lilian Yard (formerly Gardner) The infant died at one month of age and was buried at St Mary’s the Virgin Church, 11^th October 1911. The address given was 40 Angelina Street, Cardiff. A Yard/Gardner marriage has not been traced.

In June 1909, at St Mary the Virgin Church, Cecil MacDonald Yard married Mary Ellen Priest.^[5]Of course, the Cecil Yard who enlisted in the Royal Engineers described himself as ‘unmarried’. That might indicate that we are dealing with two different men or that his wife had died. … Continue reading Additionally, and from the South Wales Daily News, 11^th November 1909:

Glamorgan Assizes, at the Law Courts, Cardiff: Cecil McDonald yard (23) a coloured seaman, was charged with wounding with intent Arthur Giddings, another seaman, of the same race, on board the SS Okehampton, whilst lying at Cardiff on the 20^th October. There was an old-standing quarrel between the parties, and the defence was that the injury was inflicted whilst they fought together with knives.

The jury found Yard only guilty of unlawful wounding and a sentence of six months with hard labour was passed. He was identified as a ship’s fireman (i.e. working in the engine room), often a racially defined occupation.^[6]Other sources: africansinireland.com findmypast.co.uk Caernarvon & Denbigh Herald, and  findmypast.co.uk TNA WO 363. ancestry.co.uk and findmypast.co.uk ww.findagrave.com www.cwgc.org South … Continue reading