Captain Alfred Edward Loyd HARDCASTLE
A Company, 1/5th (Weald of Kent) Battalion East Kent Regiment (Buffs)

Date of birth: 6th June 1893
Date of death: 22nd January 1955

Died aged 61
Buried at St Mary's Church, Ticehurst
Alfred Edward Loyd Hardcastle was born at "Ivy Mount", Mill Gap, Eastbourne in Sussex on the 6th of June 1893 the elder son of Alfred Hardcastle, a gentleman, and Caroline Foster (nee Loyd) Hardcastle of "High Field", Hawkhurst in Kent. He was christened at Hawkhurst on the 31st of July 1893.

He was educated at Hazelwood School until April 1907 where he was a member of the Choir. In December 1906, in the expectation of as move the Wellington College, the school the magazine wrote of him: - "...leaves us for Wellington, where we hope he will not allow his music or his drawing to stagnate. We shall miss his voice in our choir. He starts in the Lower Middle in the Mathematical School."

In the event, there were no places available at Wellington College, so he remained at Hazelwood for a further term when the magazine wrote: - "....was very unlucky in finding no vacancy at Wellington, after passing the entrance examination with credit. He now goes to Repton (Shearme's). He will be much missed by everyone, and he leaves a big gap in the choir, where he sang alto with great effect."

He went on to Repton School where he was in Mr. Shearme’s House from 1907 to 1912 and was appointed as Head of House and as a Prefect in September 1911. He served as a Sergeant in the Officer Training Corps and achieved Certificate A. In 1913 he matriculated for Magdalene College Cambridge, where he was a member of the Cambridge University Officer Training Corps, but his education was interrupted by the outbreak of war.

He applied for a commission in the 5th Battalion East Kent Regiment on the 7th of August 1914 and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the battalion on the 22nd of August 1914. He was promoted to temporary Lieutenant on the 29th of October 1914 and the following day he sailed with the battalion from Southampton to India where they were stationed at Kamptee in the Central Provinces.

On the 30th of November 1915 the battalion embarked at Bombay on board the SS "Ellora" and landed at Basra on the 9th of December as part of 35th Indian Brigade. He was slightly wounded by a bullet in the forearm during the action at Sheikh Saad on the 7th of January when the battalion was attempting to break the siege at Kut. He was admitted to the 3rd British General Hospital at Amarah on the 9th of January and was discharged to duty on the 18th of February 1916. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 21st of January 1916 and was appointed to command D Company on the 15th of March 1916. He was promoted to Temporary Captain while in charge of the Company at Basra on the 16th of April 1916. He was admitted to 20 Field Ambulance on the 8th of June 1916 suffering from dermatitis and returned to duty on the 14th of June. He was given command of B Company on the 21st of July 1916 and was posted to the machine gun school at Amarah from the 30th of July to the 25th of August 1916. He was seconded as second in command of the 35th Machine Gun Company on the 11th of August 1916. He was admitted to 20th British Field Ambulance on the 5th of October 1916 suffering from septic sores and rejoined his unit on the 14th of October.

He was invalided and embarked from Alexandria, bound for India, on board the Hospital Ship "Varcova" on the 11th of November 1916. He stopped at Basra en route on the 6th of December. While in India he was promoted to Acting Captain while in command of a company from the 25th of December 1917 to the 19th of April 1918. He was promoted to Acting Captain on the 3rd of July 1918 and was appointed as commander of A Company from the 29th of September 1918. He was promoted to Staff Captain, serving with 35th Brigade from the 3rd to the 8th of October 1918 when he returned to the battalion. He was appointed to the command of C Company on the 10th of December 1918.

He embarked for England at Basra on the 20th of February 1919 and disembarked there the following month. He was promoted to Captain on the 2nd of November 1921 and transferred to the 4th Battalion of his regiment on the 14th of April 1923 with the honorary rank of Captain.

He was married at Aldenham Church, Hertfordshire to Leila Mary Arden (nee Brierly) at 2pm on the 2nd of June 1921; they had a son, Edward John Brierly, born on the 27th of March 1923 and a daughter, Pricilla B., born on the 4th of February 1926. They lived at "Twisden", Tenterden in Kent and later at "Singehurst", Ticehurst in Sussex.

After the war he worked as a Partner in the Oxney Haulage Company which was dissolved on the 3rd of November 1923. On the 29th of July 1927 he was appointed as Land Tax Commissioner for the Borough of Tenterden.

He was mobilised for war service with the Territorial Army Reserve on the 24th of August 1939.

He died suddenly at Little Pell Farm, Wadhurst and his funeral took place at St Mary's Church, Ticehurst at 2.30pm on the 26th of January.
Went on to Repton School

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