C & T Auctioneers and Valuers Ltd
Lot 73
1914-15 Star of Second Lieutenant Henry Elliot Byers 3rd Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry Attached Royal Flying Corps who was Killed in a Flying Accident on 12th November 1916, the medal was awarded to him as a private in the Royal Highlanders Black Watch, “1556 PTE H E BYERS R. HIGHRS”. Complete with its ribbon, RFC tunic button and a folder of photocopied research. Henry Elliot Byers was born in Naas, Co. Kildare Ireland in 1884. His father was serving in the Royal Dublin Fusiliers and his mother a army school teacher at the time of his birth. The census of 1911, shows him serving as a boy clerk to the Inland Revenue. On the outbreak of WW1, both Henry and his brother, enlisted in the 6th Battalion of the Royal Highlanders Black Watch and moved from Ireland to Scotland before going to France on 2nd May 1915. He returned from the front in February 1916, when he gained a officers commission in the 3rd Battalion DCLI, being straight away forwarded for attachment to the Royal Flying Corps. He was placed in the 16th Reserve Squadron of the RFC for training to become a pilot. Henry was killed at the age of 22 on Sunday 12th November 1916 during a training flight. A newspaper report of the incident appeared in the Weekly Irish Times and is as follows: “Sec. Lieut. Henry Elliot (Harry) Byres, killed in aeroplane accident at Bealieu, Hants, on November 12th, 1916, aged 22 years was the second son of Henry Elliot and Frances Byers, 18 Ellesmere avenue, N.C. Road, Dublin. Educated at the Diocesan School, Molesworth street, Dublin. He entered the Civil Service, and was appointed a Second Division Clerk in the Accountants branch of the G.P.O, Dublin. With an older brother he joined the Black Watch (Territorials), and on the outbreak of war left for duty in Scotland. Volunteering for active service they went with their battalion to France in May 1915, the younger brother returning in February 1916 to take up a commission. He was gazetted to the Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry on July 7th, 1916, and was attached to the Royal Flying Corps a few weeks later. His elder brother and two younger brothers are at present serving with the Black Watch.” It is reported that Henry’s aircraft was seen nose diving at 3000 feet, and he died instantly from his injuries of the crash, receiving a compound fracture to the skull, broken limbs and internal injuries. His body was moved to Dublin and he was laid to rest at Grangegorman Military Cemetery, Dublin. His brother George Elliot Byers is also commemorated at this cemetery, as he was killed in action at Bapaume, France, on 21st March 1918.
