09 February 2014

PTE Samuel Yeardley MM

Things have been a little quite recently so I have been busy reviewing old cases. Today I pulled out the card of Private Samuel Yeardley who I first wrote about 4 years ago. This is what I posted at the time:

I recently received a Queens South Africa Medal awarded to PTE S.Yeardley Cape Medical Staff Corps. I decided to put up a post now rather than wait until the search is resolved as the medal is not one I usually deal with and putting Yeardley's name out on the Internet might pull in some more clues.
Through the British Medal Forum I was provided a link to the Boer War nominal roll that has Yeardley's name although spelt Yardley. I also found the original of this list. Unfortunately neither gave me a clue as to where Yeardley came from. I took a punt and searched the AIF data base and got a hit. I got a bit excited when I saw he was an MM winner but nothing linked the S. Yeardley of the Boer War to the S. Yeardley of WWI. So off I went to the Australian Archives and found this record. On the first page was a clue that they might be the same fellow. In answer to the question about previous military service there is the comment; '12 months 21th Field Hospital Anglo Boer War'. This is by no means conclusive but a very strong link.
Making the assumption that they are the same fellow I started searching the NSW BDM as WWI Yeardley was discharged in 2 MD (NSW). Given the clues from the service record I located some details for Samuel Yeardley who married Doris Parr in 1924 and died in 1961. Doris was born in 1891 and died in 1978.
Bill posted all this on Australian Surname Group and they have found some great information. I'm sure that it wont be long until a relative of Yeardley is found and in the mean time here are some pictures of his QSA.

Well my last sentence proved to be completely wrong.

Having exhausted the all the clues linking Doris to any close relatives I had to move further afield. Doris was the daughter of Samuel Herbert Parr and Elizabeth Mary. Doris had four siblings who either didn't marry or died young. This then led me to the siblings of Samuel Herbert Parr. One of which was John Fillingham Parr. John married Elizabeth Dennis and they had three children; Thomas Leslie, Ada Millicent and Stanley Guy. Thomas died having not married and I can not find any about Ada other then the record of her birth. I now know that Ada didn't marry. So the next line of inquiry was through Stanley, Doris' first cousin.
Stanley Parr married Katie Margret Carrington Hardcastle. They didn't have any children Kaite was one of 9 children, four died as children, four didn't have any children, however, one sibling had one son, John.
John is a WWII veteran and now in his 90s. I spoke to him today and he as very clear memories of Stanley. Even though he is a distant relation by marriage to Samuel he has kindly agreed to become the custodian of Samuel's medal.
Thank you to Henry C who sent me the medal on 16 Feb 10. Afteralmost 4 years this search is finally over.
The returned medal tally is now 1409.



1 comment:

  1. No map and compass required!!!

    Well done!

    ReplyDelete