No. 35376, Private, Bert LYES
Aged 26
Medal card has 35376, CWGC have 35379
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Bertie Lyes was born in 1890, (Newmarket Q4-1890 3B:466), baptised at St Stephen, Higham on 18th January 1891, son of James William and Eliza LYES
(née COCKERTON).
1891 census...Aged 5 months, he was at Broom Pin, Lower Green, Higham with his father James W LYES [30] farm labourer, born Higham; his mother Eliza [26] born Gazeley; brother James [2] and grandmother, widow, Sarah Lyes [61] born Barrow and uncle George R LYES [19] farm labourer born Tuddenham. His sister Rachel [4] born Higham, was staying at Mill Road, Gazeley with grandparents Edward and Harriet COCKERTON. 1901 census...Aged 10,he was at Newmarket Road, Tuddenham with his parents, sister Rachel [14] born Higham, brother James and brother Edward [7] born Higham. 1911 census...He was Burt Lyes (20) a maltster's labourer, lodging with the Hawes family at 58 Dallow Street, Burton on Trent. His parents and brother Edward were at Desnage Lodge, Higham. Brother George was married and living with his wife Lily and daughter Rosalie in Ashley. His brother James was with the 1st Battalion, Grenadier Guards at Grosvenor Road, Westminster, London. In 1911 Qtr 4 in Burton upon Trent 6b:713, he married Agnes COOK [5-1-1892]. They had three children: Muriel Ellen [23-4-1912], Bert Willam [12-7-1914] and George Robert Kitchener [13-7-1916]. The pension card has them in Tuddenham St.Mary, Mildenhall. "Soldiers Died" has him resident in Newmarket. There is a Bury Free Press article placing him in Cheveley, where he is also commemorated on the war memorial. His elder brother James Lyes DCM was killed in France in 1918, and is commemorated on the Cavenham memorial see here |
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He enlisted in Newmarket, resident in Newmarket. CWGC have his death as 7th November, the war memorial has 8th November. As he died of his wounds and his Army records have not been found, there is no way of saying where or when he was wounded. Records show that the 20th Battalion had a tour in the trenches north of Morval in the last week of October, and suffered 75 casualties, including five officers. They then moved into trenches to the north of Les Boeufs, and on November 6th, after three attempts, established a bombing post about midway between that village and Le Transloy. In this small action they had about 100 casualties. Our Village and the Great War" has an extract from the Bury Free Press of 9th December 1916:- "Private Burton Lyes second son of Mr and Mrs Lyes of Desnage Lodge, Higham. He enlisted in the Royal Fusiliers on April 12th 1916 and proceeded to France on 20th July. He was severely wounded in the left hip in the battle of the Somme and died at the clearing station in France on November 8th 1916. Much sympathy is felt for his young wife and three small chldren."
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
