New CWGC Commemoration

[Terry Denham]

CWGC added the following 'new' WW1 casualty to its Debt of Honour database today – Friday 20th February.

AM.II Joseph SYRAD

150648 Royal Flying Corps

Died 24.12.17

Buried: Ardmore (St Paul’s) Cemetery, PA, USA

NOT FORGOTTEN

[chrisharley9]

May He Rest In Peace

[Will O'Brien]

Raising a glass to the memory Joseph.

[Carmania]

Joseph Syrad was born in Hammersmith, London on the 6th May 1867. He emigrated to the USA in 1891 and in 1897 married Katherine H Grosser in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Here are two reports of his death:

25th December 1917 Waterloo Times Tribune (published in Waterloo, Iowa)

Fort Worth, Texas.

J Syrad, aged 44, a member of the aerial gunnery company of the Royal Flying Corps, was killed at Hicks Field, this afternoon when he was struck in the head by the propeller of a machine.

25th December 1917 Galveston Daily News (published Galveston, Texas)

Mechanic of Royal Flying Corps is Instantly Killed

Fort Worth, Tex, Dec 24. J Syrad aged 44 mechanic of the Royal Flying Corps, was instantly killed this afternoon at Taliaferro Field about 3:30 o'clock when he attepted to start his machine. It is supposed that the engine backfired and the propellor struck him on the head, fracturing his skull.

His wife died in Dade County, Florida on 16th January 1961 and was buried with her husband in Pennsylvania.

May they rest in peace.

Aled