Name
David Arthur Byford
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/09/1917
33
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Petty Officer Motor Mechanic
F3373
Royal Naval Air Service
Russian Armoured Car Sect. H.M.S. "President II."
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
RICKMANSWORTH (CHORLEYWOOD ROAD) CEMETERY
DD.4.29
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial
St. Mary’s Church Memorial, Rickmansworth
Pre War
David was born 15th March 1884 in Foxearth, Essex the son of William and Harriet Byford. His father was a Weaver Skeleton Mat Maker.
He was brought up in Foxearth, but in 1901 was a Groom Domestic in the employ of the Reverend Richard L James, Vicar of St Mary’s, Watford. David married Jessie Agnes Harman 25th of November 1907 in Rickmansworth. Their son George was born in 1909 and in 1911 the family was living at The Lodge, Selehurst, Lower Beeding, Sussex, David being a Coachman Chauffeur Domestic.
Jessie did not remarry and in 1939 was living at 59 Byron Court, Harrow together with son George, a Mortgage Broker.
He enlisted on 12/02/1915.
Wartime Service
David’s service records state that he enlisted 12th of February 1915 but do not say where. His height was 5’ 6 1/2”, hair brown, eyes brown, complexion fresh.
Four periods of service are noted, the first three annotated HMS President II under the service number F3274 (CWGC has F3373). They were 12/02/1915 to 31/03/1915; 01/04/1915 to 05/09/1915; 16/11/1915 to 30/09/1916. The fourth, annotated HMS President II Russia with a service number 215, was from 01/10/16 to 14/09/17, the last the date of his death in Napsbury War Hospital.
HMS President was a shore based establishment of the Royal Naval reserve with a Nyphe class drill/training ship formerly HMS Buzzard. In December 1915 22 Lanchester armoured cars were supplied to the Imperial Russian Army. More were sent in February 1916 together with an RNAS expeditionary force and deployed in the Caucasus, Romania and Macedonia. The force returned via Murmanskin early 1918. It seems likely that David served with this force, but was injured and returned to England for hospitalisation.
His Napsbury medical records should be available at the National Archives under reference MH106.
Acknowledgments
Malcolm Lennox, Tanya Britton, Mike Collins
