Name
Sydney Edwards
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
07/12/1915
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
20131
Hampshire Regiment
10th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
DOIRAN MEMORIAL
Greece
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Harpenden Town Memorial, Not on the Wheathampstead memorials
Pre War
Sydney was born in 1893, in Harpenden, the son of James Edwards, a farm labourer, and Fanny (nee Wood).
On the 1901 Census the family of parents, Sydney and Arthur were living at 479, Forest Road, Walthamstow, London. Sydney’s father was working as a navvy. On the 1911 Census Sydney was living at White Gate Lodge, Hatfield, with his parents and brother Arthur.
Wartime Service
Sydney enlisted in Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 19116. No Service Records were found for Sydney. He went to the Balkan Theatre on 3 Oct 1915 to join 10th (Service) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, who had been deployed from service at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, landing at Salonika on 6 Oct 1915.
The 10th (Irish) Division, of which 10th Hampshire Regiment were an element, were involved in the action at Kosturino on 7 – 8 Dec 1915. Sydney was killed in this action and is remembered on the Doiran Memorial, Greece. (note: officially 10th Hampshire Regiment were transferred to 82 Brigade, 27 Division on 2 Nov 1915 but the full establishment of this division was not completed until sometime after this date.)
Additional Information
War Gratuity of £3 10s and arrears of £4 12s 8d was paid to his father.
His brother Arthur served with 12th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment and was killed in action on 22 Nov 1917.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Mary Skinner, Harpenden & District Local History Society (www.harpenden-history.org.uk)
