Henry Sidney Bird was born on 2nd December 1884 in Penarth, Glamorgan. He was the second of two children to painter and glazier Frederick Bird and his wife Emma. Henry’s mother passed away when he was only eleven years old and, by the time of the 1901 census, he was boarding with a family in the town, and working as a domestic gardener.

The next census – in 1911 – found the family back together again. Henry’s brother Frederick Jr was the head of the household, and she and his family – wife, Eliza, and three children – shared their home with Henry and his father. Harry, by this time, was working as a ship’s fireman.

Little information remains about Henry’s military service. He joined up when war broke out, and records show that he had enlisted in the South Staffordshire Regiment by the start of 1916. Assigned to the 8th (Service) Battalion, it is likely that he soon found himself on the Front Line.

Henry’s bravery seems to have been without fault. He went on to reach the rank of Company Serjeant Major in his battalion and was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. The citation confirmed this was for “conspicuous gallantry. When the enemy rushed an isolated trench he saved the situation by collecting bombs and superintending the erection of stops and barbed wire. During the whole operations he set a splendid example to his company.“

Company Serjeant Major Bird’s battalion was caught up in the fighting at Ypres early in 1916 and, by the summer, was involved in the Battle of Albert. It was here that Henry was wounded, and he was quickly evacuated to Britain for medical treatment. Admitted to the General Hospital in Northampton, his wounds were to prove too severe, and he passed away from them on 18th July 1916. He was just 31 years of age.

Henry Sidney Bird’s body was brought back to Wales for burial: he was laid to rest in the graveyard of St Augustine’s Church in his home town of Penarth.

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