1894 - 25th March 1918 (age 23 or 24)
Private G/44233
23rd Bn. Middlesex Regiment
Cyril was the youngest of four surviving children of a wine merchant's
assistant James Danby and his wife Mary Ann. They lived in the 4th house
in Victory Row which was five houses from the Kendrew family (see Harry
Kendrew, killed in action 1916). James Danby died aged 42 in 1898,
and by 1911 Cyril was the only child still living at home with his widowed
mother, and showing his occupation as assistant boot retail trade.
Cyril enlisted into the Durham Light Infantry at Darlington, later transferring
to the Middlesex Regiment. The battalion had returned from Italy, arriving
in France on 8th March 1917. At 8.00am on 25th March, shelling commenced
and the enemy advanced soon afterwards compelling the troops to withdraw
across the Arras - Bapaume Road to form lines along the railway embankment
behind Bihucourt and at Achiet Le Petit. The battalion suffered 13 killed,
61 wounded and 30 missing, of which it was believed one killed and seven
wounded. Cyril was killed on that day, he may have been one of the missing,
because like so many others, he has no known grave and is remembered on
the Arras Memorial, bay 7.
Cyril Danby
Cyril Danby (rear centre)
Cyril Danby is remembered on the Arras Memorial
Cyril's brother Harold, five years senior had enlisted on 9th February 1916
while living at Middlesbrough and working as a boot salesman. He was in
the 8th Bn. York & Lancaster Regiment as batman to Major Roper Caldbeck
while serving at Fiume, between Italy and Croatia. Later returning to
the 3rd Bn. Yorkshires, he was posted to Dublin in 1919. However, a letter
from his mother pleaded for his release on compassionate grounds. Her
claim was that she was in ill health, a son had been killed in the war,
and her daughter Ethel had married and was unable to take care of her.
Medical evidence was used to support her claim, and on 15th October 1919,
Harold was discharged to 4 Sowerby Road, Thirsk.
The information on this page was compiled by Steve Billings.
Information about Cyril Danby on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website
Information about Cyril Danby (Arras Memorial) on the War Graves Photographic Project website
Information about Cyril Danby (Thirsk Cemetery) on the War Graves Photographic Project website