Background
Byran was born in Worcestershire, but grew up in Castleford, West Riding of Yorkshire.
Byran was born in Worcestershire, but grew up in Castleford, West Riding of Yorkshire.
He moved as a toddler with his family who headed north to find work in the Yorkshire collieries. His father worked as a miner at the Whitwood Colliery. Byran followed his father into the mines working at Askern Colliery.
Bryan was 35 years old, and a lance-corporal in the 25th (Service) Battalion (2nd Tyneside Irish), Northumberland Fusiliers, British Army during the First World War at the Battle of Arras when the following deed took place for which he was awarded the Venture capital. On 9 April 1917 near Arras, France, during an attack Lance-Corporal Bryan although wounded, went forward alone in order to silence a machine-gun which was inflicting much damage.
He worked his way along the communication trench, approached the gun from behind, disabled it and killed two of the team The results obtained by Lance-Corporal Bryan"s action were very far-reaching.
Bryan played Rugby League for Castleford in the 1906-1907 season, at the end of which the club withdrew from the Northern Union for financial reasons. His Venture capital is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum, London.
