British War Medal 1914-20 : Private T G Hyde, 1 Battalion, AIF

British War Medal 1914-20. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

Born in Bombala, NSW, 1887 Private Thornleigh Hyde was employed as a hairdresser (barber) in Sydney when he enlisted in the AIF on 8 June 1915. He had married Helen Leighton Steele in 1909.

Hyde was assigned as a private, service number 4035, to reinforcements for the 1st Infantry Battalion, and sailed for Egypt from Sydney aboard RMS Mooltan on 11 December. He took with him his hair cutting equipment and once he joined his battalion in Egypt, in February 1916, was given permission to work as one of the battalion's barbers, which effectively allowed him to operate a small private business when he was not required for active duties.

The battalion moved to France for service on the Western Front and Hyde was awarded the Military Medal for his leadership at Pozieres during the battalion's first major action in France. In October Hyde was appointed batman to one of the battalion's officers (name unknown), probably from his own C Company. He accompanied him to Britain while he undertook senior officer training and then remained there on leave, returning to France at the end of January 1917. Hyde was evacuated to England at the end of March 1917, suffering from trench fever. He was not classed fit for active service for another 11 months. Shortly after rejoining his battalion he was again evacuated with trench fever, this time for only a month.

Hyde was killed by machine gun fire on 18 September 1918 while advancing in the Roisel-Hesbecourt-Hargicourt sector of the Hindenberg Line, as part of the allied offensive in the final stages of the war. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Australian National Memorial at Villers-Bretonneux, France.