Memorials of Rugbeians Vol 1 page 28

Newcastle Journal Tuesday 19/09/1914

Newcastle Journal Monday 28/09/1914

Oxford Roll of Honour entry Page 2

Sunderland Echo Thursday 22/10/1914

Edward Fenwick Boyd was born on 13th May, 1890, at 'Holly House', Houghton-le-Spring, the only son of the late Robert Fenwick Boyd, Moorhill, Leamside, [also a member of the Sunderland Rugby Football Club], A Mining Engineer, and his wife Annie Boyd.

Boyd junior, was also the nephew of the late Mr George Fenwick Boyd, who was High Sheriff of the county.

[His grandfather, who was also Edward Fenwick Boyd (born 30th August, 1810, died 31st August, 1889) was an English industrialist who became the fourth President of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. He held a leading role in the Mining Institute from its inauguration in 1852 as Treasurer and a member of the council before becoming the fourth president in 1869. As president, Boyd oversaw the installation of the Nicholas Wood Memorial Hall (the Mining Institute's headquarters in Newcastle-upon-Tyne) and the Newcastle College of Physical Science].

Edward Boyd junior followed his father, mining engineer Robert Fenwick Boyd, to Rugby School. Here he was a Cadet Officer in the O.T.C., and University College, Oxford. He entered the school in 1904 and was in the 1st XV in 1908. He went to Oxford in 1909 and studied for an M.A at University College. His rugby career at Oxford was split between playing at forward for the Dark Blues and Blackheath. He didn’t win his Blue until 1912, yet had been good enough to hold down a regular place in the Blackheath pack alongside the Pillman brothers.

On the 19th November, 1909 he was gazetted [To be supernumerary], to be a 2nd Lieutenant in the 5th (Cinque Ports) Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment. [London Gazette, dated December 21st 1909, Issue 9679].

In 1911, the family was residing at Hill House, Wadhurst, Sussex.

He was a Freemason in the Mother Lodge of the Apollo University No. 357, in the county of Oxfordshire.

He was gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant in the Northumberland Fusiliers on the 3rd September 1912, having previously been a Second Lieutenant in the 5th (Cinque Ports) Battalion, The Royal Sussex Regiment, a territorial battalion. He then was disembodied dated the 3rd September 1912 from the unattached territorial Forces, to the Regular Forces Infantry [Northumberland Fusiliers], on the 21st January 1914.

He was sent to France and Flanders on the 13th August 1914, he was killed in action at the Battle of the Aisne on the 20th September 1914.

"The 1st Battalion, which was part of the 9th Brigade, 3rd Division, was stationed in Portsmouth in early August, 1914, and needed to call up 621 reservists to bring it up to its full fighting strength of just over 1,000 men.

The Fifth in the Great War ’They arrived in France on the 15th August having set sail on the 14th August for an ‘unknown destination’. They sailed on the SS Norman and reached Le Havre at 3.00am. Two hours later they disembarked and were led by an eager French Boy Scout to Epremesnil, some six miles away, where they set up camp.

They went by train to Busigny on 16 August and then marched to billets at Landrecies. They moved on to Noyelles the next day and the assembly of the British Expeditionary Force was completed by 20 August. The following day the Fifth marched east out of Noyelles to taste their first action against the Germans. They marched 12.5 miles to their latest billet at La Longueville and that night were informed they would be moving forward to meet the German forces, who were reported to be advancing in Belgium north of the Meuse. On 22 August, Boyd’s Battalion paraded before dawn and linked up with the 9th Brigade and headed to Mons.

Mons is about 30 miles south-west of Brussels and about 20 miles west of Charleroi. It is a location associated most with 1914 and the first British contact of the War. The Battle of Mons on the 23rd August led to the famous ‘Retreat from Mons’, when the BEF had to fall back, in late August and early September after the Germans crossed the canal. This meant the British marched from near Mons to near Paris, a distance of around 150 miles, in just two weeks. So, no sooner had Boyd and the Northumberland Fusiliers got their first taste of battle than they were sent into a rapid retreat.

Boyd and co covered 60 miles in 48 hours between 26-28 August until they finally found themselves billeted at Bouillancy on the 1st September. By the time they reached Chatres on the 5th September the retreat from Mons was over. The retreat was carried out to try to get the troops back in shape to make a stand and by nightfall on 5th September the whole BEF had been withdrawn south of rivers Marne and Grand Morin and was a mere 25 miles south-east of Paris. Whereas the Fifth had been very much part of the rearguard during the 13 days of the Mons retreat, they now took up the charge chasing the Germans. Over the next four days they pushed forward back up to the river Marne and on 10th September the Fifth helped to round up 1800 German prisoners. They kept on moving forward until ordered on 14th September to cross the river Aisne. It was during the week of fighting the Germans on the river Aisne that Boyd lost his life.

There as a slender piece of land on the right bank of the river Aisne that gave the British a toehold and the Fifth established a small detached post in the corner of a wood about 300 yards in advance of the left flank of the Battalion. This post gave the British a clear view of the German trenches and of any potential attacks. But German sniping made life so precarious in the wood that the British had to take drastic action on the 20th September.

"At 9.40 am Lt Col Ainslie decided to throw in his reserve company to clear the wood. Lt Col Smith, commanding the 1/Lincs Rgt, having readily agreed to send forward a company of his Battalion as temporary reserve to Ainslie, the company of the Fifth advanced and swept the wood clear of the enemy. This put an end to the trouble, but not before it had cost the Fifth very dearly. For although the casualties among the other ranks, 3 killed and 5 wounded, could be counted as light, the already heavy casualties among the officers of the Battalion had been increased by 2nd Lieutenant Boyd having been killed and Captain Selby and 2nd Lt Tottie mortally wounded. The medical officer of the Battalion, Lieutenant Fisher, was also wounded on this day," detailed the ‘Fifth in the Great War’. It is obvious that Boyd was considered to be a key member of the Battalion and was much loved by his colleagues.

This was the view of his Colonel in a letter written to his parents: I don’t know what you used to call your splendid son, but everyone in the Battalion always called him Edward, and by that name he will always be remembered as long as any of his comrades live. Edward’s is indeed a character to remember and to endeavour to copy, his splendid courage and coolness under fire, without the smallest touch of bravado or undue recklessness, marked him out as a born leader of men. Before this last action I had already recommended him for some recognition on account of his extremely courageous leading and devotion to duty in the field, and only a day or two before he was killed I personally saw him steadying his men in the trenches, under a terrific shell fire, as calmly as if he were on peace manoeuvres. It was a magnificent example of cool and dauntless courage, and I am thankful that I was privileged to see it and to thank him for the glorious example he set to all ranks. He is buried in a little cemetery in the N.W corner of the town of Vailly, about a mile from where he fell.

He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 19 Oct. 1914] by Field Marshal Sir John (now Lord) French, for gallant and distinguished service in the field.

E.F. Boyd left a widowed mother, and she received a Gratuity of £94 2s 9d. In September 1919 she also wrote to the Medal Office asking about his 1914 'Mons Star' Medal which she received.

Some sources say his death was on the 19th September 1914.

De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour

Edward Fenwick Boyd is remembered at Alnwick in the A11.43 (page 6) , and at West Rainton on W113.03

Edward Fenwick Boyd is also remembered in the Oxford University Roll of Honour page 2, also in the OTC Roll of Honour. Memorials of Rugbeians Vol 1 page 28. See Edward Fenwick Boyd documents below.

The Battle of the Aisne 1914
1st Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers
The CWGC entry for Lieutenant Boyd