HEYES, John Peter
Personal Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Date of Birth | 1874 |
| Place of Birth | Wigan, Lancashire , England |
| Veterinary College and Date of Graduation | London - May 1895 |
Military Service
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Last Rank | Captain |
| Regiment/Service | Army Veterinary Corps |
| Secondary Regiment | 42th Division |
| Secondary Unit | |
| First Theatre of War | Egypt December 1915 |
Casualty Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of Death | 06 July 1918 |
| Age at Death | 42 |
| Place of Death | Malta |
| Cause of Death | Sunstroke |
Cemetery
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Cemetery | Pieta Military Cemetery |
| Location | Malta |
| Grave Reference | C.X.2 |
| Commonwealth War Grave | Yes - Flat/recumbent marker |
| Emblem or Badge on Headstone | Army Veterinary Corps Logo |
Honours and Memorials
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name on RCVS Honour Board | Yes |
| Name In Officers who died in Great War | Yes |
| Medals and Awards |
|
Biography
Captain John Heyes FRCVS was a veterinary surgeon with premises in Upper Dickinson Street, Wigan.
Heyes’ father was a shoeing smith. At twelve years of age, he left school and assisted his father in his business. At sixteen, he had made such progress that he successfully competed at agricultural shows in various parts of the country against the leading shoeing smiths of the day.
Hayes acquiesced in his father’s wish to become a veterinary surgeon, and at 19 years of age, he proceeded to the Royal Veterinary College, where he quickly came to the front, so much so that he qualified for and was offered the position of hospital surgeon to the college. This appointment he accepted, and about two years later, he returned to Wigan and set up practice.
Heyes accepted a commission in the East Lancashire Divisional Veterinary Service sometime before the outbreak of hostilities. When the Manchester Brigade was mobilised in August 1914, he went with it to Egypt and thence to Gallipoli.
While on service in Gallipoli, Heyes had an attack of dysentery, and following that, he was knocked from his horse by a motor transport. He was severely injured, with the result that he was sent to Florence to recuperate. He improved and returned to Malta to pursue his work, and there fell victim to sunstroke, which proved fatal. He died on 6 July 1916 and was buried in Malta.
Due to the sandy conditions in the graveyard, Hayes’s headstone is laid flat.
An extract from Captain Hayes’s obituary in the Veterinary Journal states
“The war has robbed the profession of one of its most capable members… in the course of his services, Captain Heyes had great responsibilities placed on his shoulders, and we have it on the authority of soldiers who have returned that no one worked harder than did the deceased gentlemen in furtherance of the success of our arms.”