Herbert Hyde was born in 1906, the youngest of the seven children of John William Hyde (1866-1910) and Maria Hyde née Field (1867-1930). His birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1906 in the Paddington registration district. On 23 May 1906 he was baptised in St Augustine's Church, Paddington, where the baptismal register shows the family living at 102 Oliphant Street, Queen's Park, North Kensington and that his father was a labourer.
When his widowed mother completed her 1911 census return form he is shown as living in 3 rooms at 155a Kilburn Lane, Willesden, with his mother, who described herself as a needle-woman and three siblings: John William Hyde (1890-1967) a porter in mansions, Ada Fanny Hyde (1892-1976) a waitress and Nellie Violet Hyde (1902-1977).
An elder brother, Samuel Stanley Hyde (1896-1916) died on 2 October 1916 in the No.9 British Red Cross Hospital in Paris, France, serving as a Private in the 1st/13th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Kensington).
Postal Service Appointment Books show that he was employed in December 1925 as a postman in the London Postal Service (West).
On 15 August 1931 he married Amy Christina Hastings (1912-1957) at St Luke's Church, West Kilburn, where the marriage register describes him as a bachelor and postman living at 216 Bravington Road, Kilburn, and his wife as a spinster residing at 50 Percy Road, Kilburn.
He was serving as a Serjeant in the Royal Army Service Corps, service number T/68680, when he was killed on war service, aged 36 years, on 12 July 1942. His body was buried in Plot 3, Row B, Grave 8, in the Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt.
Administration of his estate with a will was granted on 31 December 1942 to his widow and probate records show that his address had been 13 Eden Close, Wembley. His effects totalled £976-17s-0d.
He is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and on Page 129 of the Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance's Book of Remembrance 1939-1949.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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