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WW1
Beard, Thomas Joseph
He was killed in action 15th April 1917 in France and is commemorated on the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux France Private T. J. Beard, who was killed in action in France on April 15, was the husband of Mrs. Olive E. Beard, of Main Road, Moonah (late of Tea Tree) and second son of Mrs. Jesse Beard, Swanston, Tasmania. Private Beard loft Claremont camp with the 18th reinforcements', and was in Egypt some weeks, and then proceeded to Salisbury Plains arriving in France on September 19 last. He was at one time champion mile runner of Tasmania, and whilst on Salisbury Plains ran a three-mile race cross country and finished second. His brother Charles was killed in action on August 8, I9I5 and another brother, John, is now serving in France. Ho leaves a widow and two sons. The Mercury 15th June 1917 Mrs. O. E. Beard of Main Road, Moonah has received fine following letter from General Birdwood, giving information about the death of her husband, Private T. J. Beard who was killed in action on the 15th of April, 1917. The letter reads as follows: ''1st Anzac Corps, B.E.F., France, 6th December, 1917. Dear Mrs. Beard, As soon as I received your letter I began making inquiries regarding your husband who was killed in action on the l5th April. At this time we were engaged in severe fighting at Bullecourt, after which, 1 regret to say, many of our men were reported missing. A report was received that your husband was wounded, but in the stress of battle it was not noticed that there was no record of his evacuation, and I much regret this mistake as he should have been reported 'wounded and missing.' I may explain that it sometimes happens that a man will see a comrade fall when fighting in country occupied by the enemy, and though he may have been killed, it is not possible to make such a report until we have definitely established the fact. About a month later, a patrol belonging to another unit in that part of the front found your husband's body, which they buried, and from which they obtained his personal effects and on this definite evidence your husband was reported 'killed in action.' His personal effects were sent to the base for return to Australia, and I hope you will have received them by now. I should like to express my deep sympathy with you in your great loss, which is indeed a heavy blow for you to bear. Though nothing can ever compensate you for such a sacrifice, I trust that it will be of some little comfort to you to realise that your husband gave his life fighting gallantly for King and country. 1 have also made inquiries regarding your three brothers As you probably know Sergeant W J Beard was evacuated from his battery in May, 1917 owing to injuries received at football but he is expected to rejoin his unit in a few days Gunner S C A Beard was evacuated on the 18th November, suffering from laringytis, but I trust his condition is not serious. The officer commanding the 103rd Battery informs me that Lance Corporal A E Beard is with the battery as well, while your husband's brother Private John Beard has been employed at 1st Divisional Headquarters for some months now. With kind regards, and again my deep sympathy in your sad loss,-Yours sincerely, W R Birdwood The Mercury 11th February 1918
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Born 3rd May 1880 Oatlands Tasmania the son
of Jesse and Mary Beard (nee Willetts) married with one
son, a farmer he embarked Hobart 8th May 1916
on board “HMAT Seang Choon” with the 12th
Infantry Battalion.