A Ballard
Rank: Chief Yeoman of Signals
Ship: HMS Highflyer
Address: 4 Croft Road, Hastings
Other Info: HMS Highflyer sank the German armed liner Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse on August 27th 1914. A Ballard has served 25 years in the Navy and eight years in the Reserve and was called up for active service on August 3rd.
Published: September 1914
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Arthur Ballard born 21 July 1868, Southborough, Kent son of George & Mary neé Kemp. Christened at St Peter Southborough 13 Sep 1868. He enlisted as a Boy 2nd Class at Devonport on 4 Aug 1883. On 21 July 1886 he signed up for 10 years as an Ordinary Seaman and was described as height 5 feet 1/2 inch; brown hair; grey eyes; fresh complexion; trade messenger. Arthur then progressed through the ranks as a signaller (3rd Class – 14 Dec 1886: 2nd Class 13 Jun 1887; Qualified Signaller 23 Jan 1889; Leading Signaller 5 Apr 1890; Yeoman of Signals 24 Nov 1894; Chief Yeoman of Signals 1 Apr 1901). He signed up for a second period of 10 years on 21 July 1896 by which time he had grown to 5 feet 6 1/2 inches. Arthur served on 16 vessels including HMS Highflyer from 2 Aug 1914 to 1 Jan 1917 as Yeoman of Signals. Late in 1894 in Tonbridge he married Fanny Elizabeth Startup and they had one son Percival Arthur Ballard born in Beckenham, Kent on 11 Feb 1907. In the 1921 Census Arthur, Fanny & Percival are living at 55 Croft Road and Arthur is running his own business as a Grocer at 7 Croft Road, Hastings. Arthur died in The Municipal Hospital Hastings on 25 April 1932.