People Australia

Andrew Boyd, n.d. photographer unknown

from Bank of NSW Roll of Honour

ANDREW BOYD, the son of Mr. James Boyd, State School teacher at Scarsdale, Vic., and Mrs. Jeannie Boyd, was born in Melbourne on 21st November, 1893. His early education was in the State School, Bonegilla, Victoria, and he proceeded later to the Wesley College, Melbourne, joining the service of the Bank in December, 1910, at the Albury Branch, N.S.W.

In the following year he went to Wodonga, and was promoted to the position of teller a t the Culcairn Branch early in 1914. In August of that year he became assistant a t Chiltern, where he enlisted in July, 1915. He embarked four months later, on his twenty-second birthday. Andrew Boyd saw much of the heavy work which awaited the Australians in France, and came unscathed through the terrible fighting of Pozieres and Bullecourt. He was eventually wounded early in 1917 while acting as brigade-runner. The convalescence kept him in England for 10 months, and while in camp there he received his corporal’s stripes for valuable work in straightening out the camp account books.

He returned to France in November, 1917, joining his unit (the 8th Battalion) in the Ypres sector. Early in April, the 1st Division moved south towards Amiens, only to be sent back hurriedly to stem the new German attack which had broken through towards Hazebrouck. Six miles from that town the attack was definitely held in the Forest of Nieppe, and it was there that Corporal Boyd met his death a few days later. He was killed by a stray shell on 14th April, 1918.

“As you know,” wrote his father a year later, “he did the only thing he could have done. I am quite sure he is happier to-day than he ever could be in this world.”