South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project |
|
|
|
Military History |
| Theatre of War | Medals | Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial |
|---|---|---|
| France and Flanders | British War & Victory Medals | Loos Memorial |
| Arrived in Theatre | Medal Citation (if app) | SWFHS Area Memorials |
| After 1 Jan 1916 | ~ | Long Compton |
| Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed | Date and Place Enlisted | Other War Memorials |
| Battle of the Somme | After 13 Sep 1915 at Stratford on Avon | ~ |
| Place of Death | Previous Regiments or Units | |
| Leuze Wood | ||
Circumstances Leading to Death (Normally from War Diary)
Both the CWGC and Soldiers Who Died in the Great War records state that Sydney was part of the 11th Battalion Royal Warwickshire, however the war diary for the 11th Bn states that between the 7th and 16th Sept 1916 the battalion was resting and conducting training exercises at La Comte. Sydney is listed as being killed in action on the 12th Sept 1916 and so in theory was not in lines.However Sydney's Pension Index Card states that he served in the 14th Battalion and the war diary for the 14th Battalion shows that they were in the front lines at Leuze Wood and Falfemont Farm and we believe that the CWGC records contain an error. The 14th Battalion diary entry for the 12 Sep 1916 is transcribed below:-
Leuze Wood 11.9.16: Enemy heavily shelled E&S faces of wood & the Battn is extremely fortunate in having only 4 other ranks killed and 10 other ranks wounded. 1/R West Kents [1 Battalion Royal West Kent Regiment] suffered heavily and are relieved at night by 1/London Regt - Major Samuels.
Leuze Wood 12.9.16: 3 other ranks killed and 12 other ranks wounded. Lt Wilson casualty by shell shock. Heavy shelling intermittently throughout the day. Receive orders that Battalion to be relieved by 1/Devons tonight & that it is to take over the trenches SE of Falfemont Fm, vacated by them.
Relieve completed at 11pm & the Battn occupies the trenches which the 1/KOSB's attacked on 9.9.16, just to the right of the own objective of that date. 7 other ranks wounded. All ranks very glad to have seen the last of Leuze Wood, a wood no longer but a churned up network of shell craters with bare and battered tree trunks partly standing but more often broken & twisted massed littering the ground. Eneny and our own dead everywhere and altho' our men worked hard at burying a lot stiull remained to be done when they left. END.
| Personal & Family History |
| Birth Date/Place | Baptism Date/Place |
|---|---|
| Oct Qtr 1896 at Long Compton | 17 Jan 1897 at Long Compton |
| Parents Names | Abode |
| James and Ellen Ford | 30, Crockle Street, Long Compton |
| Schools | Colleges |
| ~ | |
| Address History | Employment History |
| 1897 - Long Compton | 1911 - Plough Boy |
| 1901 - Church Gates Farm Yard, Long Compton | |
| 1911 - 30 Crockle Street, Long Compton |
