Name
Sydney Richard Elworthy
13 October 1891
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
01/09/1918
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
Royal Air Force
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Searched but not found
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
HEMEL HEMPSTEAD (HEATH LANE) CEMETERY
SB. 36.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Memorial, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted School Memorial, Berkhamsted
Pre War
Sydney Richard Elworthy (known as Dick) was born on 13 October 1891 in St Lukes/ Holborn, London, the son of Frederick and Harriet Elworthy and one six children, although one died in infancy. He was baptised at St Matthew, City Road, Islington on 29 March 1892.
On the 1901 Census the family were living at Grove Hill, Hemel Hempstead, where his father was a veterinary surgeon employing two servants.
He was educated at Berkhamsted School, Herts, leaving in 1908.
His father died on 4 December 1902. aged 41 and left an estate valued over £25,000. On the 1911 Census, he was living with his widowed mother, siblings, visitors and servants at Grove Hill, Hemel Hempstead, at which time he was working for a paper manufacturer.
He is said to have worked at a tea plantation in Ceylon prior to enlistment and is listed as leaving England on 18 September 1913 on the SS Herefordshire, bound for Colombo.
Wartime Service
He returned to England to volunteer for war service and enlisted as a flying cadet in May 1917. After a 90 day instruction course he was awarded a temporary commission and served in the Royal Air Force as a Second Lieutenant and Pilot, attached to the Artillery and Infantry Co-operation School, Worthy Down, Hampshire.
On 31 August 1918 he suffered serious injuries as the result of a crash. He was flying a Bristol Fighter C894 when he turned downwind at 30ft and the engine stalled, causing the plane to dive to the ground near Worthy Down. He was about to proceed overseas on active service when the accident happened.
He died of wounds at St Thomas' Hospital, Winchester the day after the crash. (Lieutenant Albert Jacques Tremblay also died in the crash).
He was buried in Heath Lane Cemetery, Hemel Hempstead. Herts in the family grave with his father Frederick. Later to be joined by his brother Leonard in 1932 and his mother Harriet in 1943.
Additional Information
His mother was granted probate of his estate on 15 March 1919, with effects of £2844 13s 8d. She received pay owing of £67 2s 3d.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.hemelatwar.org., www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelheroes.com.
