Lieutenant, 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment. Killed in action at Gommecourt 23/08/1918.

 

Born 7th June 1896 in Malvern, Worcestershire.  Father George Somes Layard and mother Eleanor Byng nee Gribble, the youngest of four children, his eldest brother George died in Germany when he was two. The family with his brother John Willoughby and  sister Nancy lived at Bulls Cliff, Garfield Road, Felixstowe.  He went to Bedales Boarding school, Greatham, Hampshire, where he is found in the 1911 census.

 

He was badly wounded in June 1916 while in charge of a trench mortar and spent 2 years at home recovering from his injuries, he returned to France June 1918.  He was killed whilst trying to help an injured German soldier whilst under machine gun fire.  His Commanding Officer wrote “He was killed after the successful capture of a village, in which he led his men with great gallantry.  He was killed instantaneously while binding up a wounded German.”  Another officer said - “He was a great soldier, gallant in action, greatly loved and admired by his men….I mourn with you the loss of a great friend and comrade in arms”  His sergeant wrote - “No better soldier or gentleman ever wore the Kings uniform” Buried at Douchy-Les-Ayette British Cemetery.  

 

A book was published in 2008 of his letters - full transcript here -  http://www.archive.org/stream/peterclementlaya00layaiala/peterclementlaya00layaiala_djvu.txt

 

His Cousin, Captain Julian Royds Gribble serving in the Royal Warwicks, was awarded the VC. (Captain Gribble was posted as Missing - later found to be a PoW, he died of influenza whilst a prisoner)