Beard, James

James Beard was born on 28 March 1894 in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, United Kingdom, to James C and G.A. Beard. James had been a recent arrival in Canada at the beginning of the First World War as, on his enlistment, he gave his father’s address (Rugby, Staffordshire) as his address. He attested to the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) at Valcartier on 23 September 1914, joining the 13th Canadian Infantry Battalion (Royal Highlanders of Canada) and giving steamfitter and cook as his civilian occupation.

As part of the first Canadian contingent the battalion shipped out in SS Alaunia on 3 October 1914 and arrived a week or so later in the United Kingdom for training at the West Down Camp, Salisbury. On 16 February 1915, the unit arrived in Ste Nazaire in France and travelled immediately for the front. By the 24th they were in the trenches at Armentieres. On 16 April the 13th Battalion was sent again to Belgium and after a short march arrived in the town of St Jean near Ypres. On 21 April they took over the trenches in the Ypres salient. The next day the position was attacked in what was later known as the Second Battle of Ypres with the unit diary noting that heavy shelling and gas had forced the Algerian troops back, exposing the left flank of the Canadian unit. The battalion evacuated their position on the 23rd of April without any casualties. The next day, after heavy shelling and machine gun fire, it was forced back again to the Headquarters trenches where it held firm. The unit diary makes no comment on casualties that day.

Private Beard was one of those who was killed in that final retreat on 24 April 1915. He has no known grave and is memorialized on Panel 24-26-28-50 of the Menin Gate at Ypres. His name is listed on page 4 of the Canadian World War One Book of Remembrance.