b. 1881 Brighton, Sussex. d. 04/09/1935 Brighton, Sussex.
DATE OF AM ACTION: 16/08/1918 Fort Darland, Gillingham, Kent.
Walter was born in 1881 in Brighton and he enlisted with the Royal Engineers prior to 1901. In 1905 he married Elizabeth Goble, and they had a son, Walter Richard Beard, in 1909. Walter served throughout World War I as Sapper 4015, Royal Engineers. He was discharged in 1919.
AM CITATION:
On the 16th August, 1918, Lance-Corporal Beard was instructing recruits in throwing live bombs, when one of the men under instruction, as he was about to throw a bomb, dropped it in the trench. Beard at once ran out from cover, picked up the bomb, and threw it over the parapet, thereby undoubtedly saving the recruit from death or serious injury. The bomb exploded in the air before reaching the ground. In almost exactly similar circumstances. Beard repeated this gallant action on the 23rd August, thereby again saving the life of a man who had dropped a bomb in the trench.
BURIAL LOCATION: UNKNOWN.
LOCATION OF MEDAL: PRIVATELY HELD.
