Theodore Bayley Hardy VC DSO MC

b. 20/10/1863 Barnfield House, Exeter, Devon. d. 18/10/1918 Rouen, France.

Theodore Bayly Hardy (1863-1918) was born on 20th October 1863 at Barnfield House, Southernhay, Exeter, Devon. His father, George, born in Harberton, Devon, was a shopman. He married Elizabeth Carne Wilkinson in 1849. George later became a commercial traveller in the wine, spirit and tea trade. Elizabeth died in 1853, and George married Theodore’s mother, Sarah Richards Beedle in Exeter in 1859. She was a widow having previously married to a surgeon dentist named Henry Huntley (who died in 1855).

Theodore B Hardy
VC DSO MC

George and Sarah moved into a large house in nearby Southernhay. As well as the Huntley children, the family of George and Sarah soon grew as during the next few years, four sons were born to them – Alfred, Ernest, Theodore (born 20 October 1863) and Robert. Then, in 1870, George died, aged 50, and Sarah was widowed for a second time. For a while, she stayed on in Southernhay, supporting her young family by running a small school with the assistance of her daughter Georgina. Theodore and his brother Ernest were educated at home by their mother initially. He played cricket and football but was hampered by poor eyesight. He became a boarder at the Commercial Travellers’ School in Pinner, Middlesex from 1872-79.

But by 1881, Sarah had moved to London. The census return of that year shows two of her seven children still with her – Henry Huntley, by then 28, and Theodore Hardy, aged 17 and still at the City of London School. He went on to London University and in 1889 was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree. The previous year, he had married Florence Elisabeth Hastings at the Great Victoria Street Baptist Meeting House, Belfast. The couple went on to have a son and a daughter.

After graduating, Theodore became a teacher in London for two years before moving to Nottingham High School as an assistant schoolmaster in 1901. There he was form master to the Upper 2nd form and one of his pupils was future novelist, DH Lawrence. He was ordained as a deacon at Southwell Minster, Nottingham on 18th December 1898 and was ordained a priest at St George’s Church, Nottingham the following year. In addition to his teaching career at Nottingham High School, he was curate of Burton Joyce-with-Bulcote, Nottinghamshire 1898-1902, and curate of St Augustine’s, New Basford, Nottinghamshire from 1902-1907. In 1907 he became headmaster of Bentham Grammar School, Lancaster until 1913, when his wife became seriously ill and he resigned. He was appointed perpetual curate at St John’s Church, Hutton Roof, near Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmoreland. Sadly, his wife died shortly afterwards and is buried in Hutton Roof Churchyard.

Theodore volunteered for service in the Great War but was initially rejected due to his age. He persisted and undertook local ambulance classes and attempted to volunteer as a stretcher bearer. He was commissioned into the Army Chaplains’ Department as a temporary chaplain 4th class on 29th August 1916, aged 53, and went to France shortly afterwards. He underwent some basic training at Etaples, near Boulogne, where he served with the Infantry Base Depots before being assigned to 8th Lincolnshires in December. He was also Padre to 8th Somerset Light Infantry, both battalions being in 63rd Brigade. Theodore was always about in the trenches, particularly at night, and adopted the catchphrase “It’s only me boys”. He filled a postman’s sack full of cigarettes, which he distributed to the soldiers at the front.

Hardy ministered to the troops during the build up to Passchendaele, dodging the snipers, handing out sweets and cigarettes, writing letters for the troops, and calming many a lost and frightened soul. On the 31st July, the battle commenced with an attack on Riffle Farm. The battalion suffered 7 officers and 170 other ranks, as casualties in this action. All this time, Hardy was with his men, helping the stretcher bearers and bringing succour to the wounded. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his work. He continued at the front, through September and into October and was awarded again, with the Military Cross at Larch Wood, near Hill 60, Ypres “for repeatedly going out under heavy fire to help the stretcher bearers during an attack.”

The war ebbed and flowed, and in the spring of 1918, the Lincolns were moved to a position on the Somme. Hardy was in the thick of it, as usual, and his actions on the 5th, 25th and 27th of April 1918, resulted in him being awarded the Victoria Cross. On the 27th April, he was the last to leave a wood that the battalion were evacuating; he found a sergeant in a forward position, to accompany him back in to the wood and rescue a wounded man, the whole time under enemy fire. When told that he had been nominated for the VC he said “I really must protest”. On the 9th August 1918, King George V presented him with his award at Frohen-le-Grand. His daughter, Elizabeth, travelled to the ceremony in a car provided by General Byng GOC Third Army. The King appointed him Chaplain to His Majesty, hoping to remove him from the front. Hardy had none of that, and returned to his battalion.

On 10th October 1918, he was hit by machine gun fire, as the Lincolns were crossing the River Selle at Briastre by night. He exclaimed “I’ve been hit, I’m sorry to be a nuisance.” He was evacuated to No 2 Red Cross Hospital, Rouen suffering from his wounds and fatigue. Pneumonia set in and he died on 18th October 1918, three days before his 55th birthday. His daughter was at his bedside. Hardy was buried in the cemetery at St Sever, near Rouen. Hardy is the most decorated, non combatant in the First World War. He is further commemorated with a green plaque at his birthplace in Exeter, a memorial plaque in Exeter Cathedral, on the City of London School War Memorial, on the Nottingham High School War Memorial, a plaque in Carlisle Cathedral, at St John’s Church, Hutton Roof, named on his wife’s headstone in Hutton Roof Churchyard, and has VC commemorative stones at High Bentham, Yorkshire and at Exeter War Memorial.

In addition to his VC, DSO and MC he was awarded the British War Medal 1914-20 and Victory Medal 1914-19 with Mentioned in Despatches oakleaf. The VC was presented on permanent loan to the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department Museum in 1965 by his granddaughter, Miss Patricia Hastings Hardy. She bequeathed the VC to the Museum in her will in May 1995. The medals are displayed at The Museum of Army Chaplaincy, Amport House, Amport, Hampshire.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: MUSEUM OF ARMY CHAPLAINCY, AMPORT, HAMPSHIRE.

BURIAL PLACE: ST SEVER CEMETERY, ROUEN, FRANCE.

BLOCK S, PLOT V, ROW J GRAVE 1