Horace Tom Beard was the son of Alice Beard and was born in Mitcheldean in May 1890, where Alice‘s parents lived. At the time, Alice was working as a parlour maid in a hotel in Newnham. Alice married Charles Hooper in 1892. Charles worked as a postman in Newnham.
After leaving School, Horace served an apprenticeship as a blacksmith and joined the 4th Glosters Militia. He applied to join the professional army or navy but was rejected because of his stammering. He obtained work as a seaman and claims he was shipwrecked on several occasions. He joined the Worcestershire Regiment on 5 September 1914 and was sent for training at Worcester.
On 3 May 1915, Horace married Emma George in Newnham. On 15 May 1915, the following report appeared in the Gloucester Journal, where Horace is described as a soldier in the Gloucestershire Regiment.
At the Police Station, Thursday before Mr. Spencer Shelley, Horace T. Beard, of Church Road, Newnham, was charged with being an absentee without leave from the Gloucestershire Regiment and was remanded to await an escort.
There can be little doubt that these two events are connected. There is no record available about his punishment.
Horace was then sent to join the British Expeditionary Force in France on 9 December 1915 and joined the 57th Field Ambulance. He was immediately thrust into action on the front line, where he was a victim of an exploding shell, which rendered him unconscious. His speech became worse, and then he lost it completely.
He remained in France until 21 February 1916. and returned home on 22 February 1916 because of gastritis. A Medical Report on 17 May 1916 provided the following statement:
Unconscious from a shell exploding. Speech became affected, eventually losing it completely. Worries a great deal. Voice is still bad. A fortnight ago, he suddenly lost it completely for 6 days for no obvious reason. The patient has been shipwrecked four times. On every occasion, he lost his voice. Memory for past events is unreliable.
On 2 June 1916, Horace was discharged from the army because he was no longer “physically fit for service”. The reason given was neurasthenia and shell shock.
Medical Reports
Bristol 13 November 1916
Complains of a pain in the head and giddiness. Has lost his voice. Talks in a whispering manner. Stutters a great deal. Generally, in a weak condition. 50%
Newport, 23 July 1917.
As before 40%
Gloucester 15 June 1918
Much the same condition. 40%
Gloucester 24 August 1920
Complains of a choking feeling in his throat. Can only tolerate bread and milk. Cannot speak above a whisper. Pharyngitis present. Presence of internal tensions of cords. Larynx otherwise normal. Condition functional 40%
Gloucester 29 September 1920
Speech difficulty – husky voice. Hesitancy in speech. Difficulty with food. Vomits various times after food. Weakness in arm. Very slight tremor in hands and eyelids. No muscle wastage in arm. Some loss of sensation. Abnormal Larynx as before. Strength improved (functional). 30%
Some comments in these transcriptions of medical reports have not been included because the words are difficult to decipher.
After the war, Horace and Emma moved to Stroud. Emma died on 18 November 1919. Soon after Emma’s death, Horace married Ada Fry. Horace obtained work in various roles as a driver, doorman, caretaker and builder’s labourer. Horace Beard died in November 1957.