| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Richard was born in 1877 in Sutton, St Helens, Lancashire son of Thomas Hardman. He enlisted in the Army on 14 May 1901 and joined the 2nd Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment. In 1904 he became a member of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, Duke of Clarence Lodge, Farnborough, a charitable organisation. He married Louisa Poulter on 25 Oct 1905, when both were aged 28, in Farnborough.
He sailed from Southampton in Dec 1905 to Burma, travelling via Bombay. In Jan 1906 he was made a regimental gymnastics instructor and promoted to Sergeant, at the same time extending his enlistment to 12 years. In 1907 he was referred to as a first class marksman. His wife Louisa travelled with him they had two children, Arthur John born 8 Jul 1906, in Mandalay, Burma, and Louise, known as Bunty, born 11 Aug 1912 in Lucknow India. In 1911 at Faizabad his enlistment was extended to 21 years. He was posted to Beverley in 1912 as a training instructor based at Victoria Barracks. The family lived at 10 Denton Street. His daughter Louise watched him through the barrack`s railings, drilling troops.
Richard went to France with the 8th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regiment and left Hedon Barracks on 24 Mar 1916 as Company Sergeant Major. He was killed in action on 14 Jul 1916 aged 39 at the Battle of Bazentin Ridge. The Regiment`s War Diary for 8th Battalion records that in the battle, 8 officers were killed and 11 wounded, 81 other ranks killed, 216 wounded and 141 missing. Richard is buried in Carnoy Cemetery, France.
He was listed as a casualty in the Hull Daily Mail on 18 Aug 1916 and his death is recorded in the Beverley Guardian on 7 Oct 1916. He is remembered on the East Yorkshire Regiment memorial in Beverley Minster, the Hengate Memorial and the Holmechurch Lane Shrine
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |