Skeyton – War Memorial (Driver Bertie John Allard)

I posted earlier about Alfred Allard, one of three brothers killed during the First World War, and commemorated on the war memorial at Skeyton. Bertie’s parents were Edward and Ann, with the 1911 census showing him still living at home with them, whilst he worked as a farm labourer.

Bertie John Allard entered the First World War with his service number of 85139, joining the 209th Field Company of the Royal Engineers. This company was one of three formed in Norfolk as a result of Kitchener’s request for more troops, with the three units becoming 34th division from 1915.

Bertie died, aged 23, on 1 June 1916 as a result of shelling and he was buried at Buire-sur-l’Ancre Communal Cemetery in France, one of just six Commonwealth soldiers to be buried there. His brother Alfred died just five days later in Mesopotamia, so their parents would have likely found out about both deaths at around the same time.