Noel Izod

Sergeant, Royal Field Artillery

Age 15, Class lV B: 'Excellent boy. Very earnest in all he does.'

Noel Izod, a student at Alleyn’s until 1906, lived at 69 Friern Road, East Dulwich before the outbreak of the First World War. He lived with his parents, William and Elizabeth, as well as his older brother, Frank. Noel worked as a clerk before deciding to enlist in the British Expeditionary Force at the age of 23. He had grey eyes and brown hair and had unusually tall height for the average male in this period, standing just over 6ft. After being declared as medically fit for service, he joined the Royal Field Artillery in August 1914. Noel served as a Sergeant with the RFA and saw action in France and Italy during his time overseas. He served in France for 1915 and 1916 before being transferred to the Italian Expeditionary Force in November 1917. Shortly before he left for Italy, Noel was severely reprimanded for not complying with an order in the field. However, he managed to avoid being demoted and in March 1918, he was transferred back to the Western Front where he continued to serve until the end of the war. For his service in the war, he was awarded the 1914-15 Star, a medal granted to all eligible servicemen who entered a theatre of war from August 1914 to December 1915.