Joseph Edwin Fozard was born on 5th December 1878 at Rigton, one of eight children born to John and Christiana Fozard. On 20th February 1909, Joseph, then a 30-year-old labourer living at Spacey Houses, married 24-year-old Alice Bailey at Spofforth Parish Church. Two years later, the couple were living at Pannal with two children, Stanley Joyce (born May 1909) and Phyllis (born November 1910). Joseph by this time described his occupation as a carter employed by a plasterer. Three more children were to follow: Donald (born November 1912), Geoffrey Hugh (born September 1914) and Willie (born July 1917).
Joseph was called up for army service on 25th September 1917 and posted to the Welsh Guards, joining the regiment's 1st Battalion in France, most likely in June 1918. By the fourth week of August 1918, mobile warfare had returned to the Western Front and the German armies were gradually being pushed eastwards. The part played by the 1st Welsh Guards in a renewed offensive on 24th August is recorded in detail in the battalion war diary:
At 12.50am orders were received over the telephone that the 3rd Guards Brigade would continue the advance on the 24th - advance to be directed on ECOUST ST MEIN, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards on the high ground north of St. LEGER on a one company front, remaining companies in depth. 56th Division would advance on our left flank and 2nd Battalion Scots Guards on our right. Advance would be made by bounds, artillery co-operating - 1st Bound, LEGER Reserve; 2nd Bound, tracks running south-east and north-west in B.6.b. and d.; 3rd Bound, ECOUST Reserve; 4th Bound, road in C.4.a., c. and d. All ground captured to be consolidated in depth. Zero hour 7.00am. No villages would be entered but would be enveloped. Two sections Machine Gun Battalion were allotted to the battalion. Tanks would co-operate.
Orders were issued to companies at 3.15am. No. 3 Company would lead, advancing in extended order followed by No. 4 Company, Prince of Wales’s Company, No. 2 Company, each at 300 yards interval, in artillery formation.
At 5.00am, the commanding officer, while going round the companies, was wounded. Capt. W. B. L. Bonn, M.C. took over command.
At Zero, the artillery opened, No. 3 Company, under Captain L. F. Ellis, advancing on a frontage of 875 yards. They at once came under machine-gun fire from BANK COPSE, MILL COPSE and JUDAS TRENCH. The machine gun in BANK COPSE was dealt with by No. 11 Platoon under 2nd Lt. J. E. Gloag, from the flanks, the gun being captured and the team bayoneted. The whole company then advanced on WINDMILL LANE where another machine gun, which had retired from MILL COPSE, was captured. The right half of No. 3 Company then dealt with the railway where several prisoners were captured and one field gun. On reaching the outskirts of St. LEGER we were held up by our own barrage, the front wave having heavy casualties and being thrown back. Capt. Ellis at once reorganised them and the advance was continued. Several prisoners were taken from the outskirts of St. LEGER and along the road running from St. LEGER to CROISILLES, north of the railway. A machine gun from LEGER TRENCH now held up the leading wave and our own barrage came down right on the company causing several casualties. As there were no signs of the troops on the west of St. LEGER advancing, the company fell back to the sunken road running from T.28.a.7.0 - T.28.a.7.5 taking their wounded with them. Here the company reorganised, and after a short rest, No. 4 Company being in close support, they advanced again in line of sections in file. In this formation very few casualties were incurred, and the objective LEGER Reserve was taken.
While LEGER Reserve was being consolidated, No. 4 Company came under very heavy shell fire, so advanced into LEGER Reserve. A patrol was sent forward but at once encountered very heavy machine-gun fire from the outskirts of CROISILLES, so returned. The battalion on our right being held up, one platoon was detailed to try and help them by clearing the ridge on T.29.a & b. The platoon advanced along the railway embankment, taking and killing several Germans in the dugouts in the embankment, when it suddenly came on an unsuspected machine-gun nest and half the party were hit. But for the prompt action of two men who at once brought fire to bear with their Lewis guns on the machine-gun post, it is doubtful if any of the platoon could have effected a retirement.
Orders were than received by the battalion on our left, that they were not to advance further that day, so no further attempt was made by us.
The remainder of the day was spent in consolidating LEGER Reserve.
At dusk the line was reorganised. No. 2 Company relieved No. 3 Company taking over the whole of LEGER Reserve, No. 3 Company moving back into Reserve in the sunken road T.28.a.5.6 - T.22.c.0.1, Prince of Wales’s Company and No. 4 Company occupying LEGER TRENCH.
St. LEGER was heavily shelled with gas shells during the night.
Joseph Edwin Fozard was among those killed in action with the battalion on 24th August. Quite possibly, he was one of those in the front wave who were caught in "friendly fire", as his body was recovered from a spot on the northern edge of the village of Saint-Léger at trench map reference 51B.T.28.a.7.5. His grave now lies in Bucquoy Road Cemetery, Ficheux; the inscription on his headstone, chosen by his family, reads COME UNTO ME AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST. Joseph is also commemorated at the grave of his brother, William, in Kirkby Overblow Cemetery.
[Note: trench map coordinates can be located on a modern map using the excellent tmapper resource.]