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Major. Herbert Henry Hayes MID.
British Army 58th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery
from:Portsmouth
(d.1st October 1918)
Herbert Hayes was killed in action, at Honnecourt, France on the 1st of October 1918.
Herbert was born in London on 15th March 1893, the 2nd son of William Hayes, a naval Chief Artificer who himself was killed in the Battle of Jutland 1916 in HMS Fortune. In 1909 William's career took the family from West Ham London to Southsea where Herbert studied at Southern Grammar School. He was described as a good student excelling at sports and games.
In 1912 Herbert won a scholarship and embarked on an engineering degree at the Royal College of Science in London.
On 17th September 1914 Herbert enlisted as 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Garrison Artillery. Serving as CO of 58th Seige Battery. He was promoted to Major, CO of 409th Siege battery.
Herbert was clearly an outstanding officer, Mentioned in Despatches. What little of the war diaries of his Siege Battery survives includes a description of the events leading to his death. Written in immaculate copper plate the recorder describes "The battery came into position on the ridge in front of Homecourt on night of Sept 30. The B.C. post was set up in a tent in front of the football trench. At 10am the enemy began shelling with 4.2 H.Vs and one burst in the rear of the tent. The splinters riddled the tent and killed Major H H Hayes, the CO almost immediately. He was buried at Fins Cemetery at 3pm. The Battery was with 58th Army Brigade RGA, V Corps" The location of his death is identified as Vaucelette Farm.
The General of the V Corps wrote of him "Ever since he has commanded his Battery, no man could have done more to improve its efficiency, and his personal gallantry was always outstanding."
Herbert's family were apparently unaware that he married during the war to Alice McMurray of Glasgow, Scotland and it would appear that his young wife was pregnant in 1918. A grave in the local church Kirkcudbright has one William Hayes, apparently having died as a baby. His probate dated 1919 declared his wife, Alice Catherine Hayes of Kirkcudbright as being the sole beneficiary of 299 pounds 12s.
Herbert served throughout the War from its beginning in 1914 and tragically fell 41 days prior to Armistice. Some facts, from his application for commission, Age 21 years, Height 5'4", Chest 32", Weight 8st 4lbs.
