Byam was the son of Emily nee Bean and Major General William Byam who were married in Aden.
12 Facts About William Byam
1.
2.
William Byam junior was educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, and studied medicine at St George's Hospital, London.
3.
William Byam entered the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1904 and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel.
4.
William Byam contributed a chapter on the condition to Lloyd's Lice and their Menace to Man.
5.
William Byam developed a deep interest in Egypt during his service there, later even decorating a room in his Harley Street house in an Arab style.
6.
William Byam donated the contents of that room, complete with hand-painted ceiling and wood panelling, to the Egyptian Embassy in London.
7.
William Byam took up philately in 1923 as a method of relaxation from his stressful medical practice and joined the Royal Philatelic Society London in 1924.
8.
William Byam decided to specialise in the philately of Egypt, a country he knew well, and founded the Egypt Study Circle in 1935.
9.
William Byam won nine gold medals at international philatelic exhibitions.
10.
William Byam was the first foreigner to be appointed a "Member of Honour" by the Societe Philatelique d'Egypte.
11.
William Byam was a fellow of the Society of Postal Historians and president of the Oriental Philatelic Association of London.
12.
William Byam was survived by his wife and two of his daughters.