Name
Sidney William Arnold
1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/05/1917
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
M2/176372
Army Service Corps
907th M.T. Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
SAVONA MEMORIAL
Italy
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Savona Memorial to the missing
UK & Other Memorials
Cheshunt Town Memorial, Christ Church (formerly Holy Trinity Church) Memorial, Waltham Cross
Pre War
Sidney William Arnold was born in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, in 1894, son of Thomas Arnold and Ellen Arnold (nee Pateman). One of six Children, four brothers and one sister. Sidney was Baptised in the Parish of Waltham Cross, Herts, on 14 February 1894.
His father was employed by the Enfield Royal Small Arms Factory (ERSAF).
1901 Census records Sidney aged 7, living with his parents, and four siblings at 33, Eleanor Road, Waltham Cross, Herts. 1911 Census records Sidney aged 17, working as a Butchers Assistant, living with his parents, and five siblings at, 8, Lawrence Villas, Swanfield Road, Waltham Cross, Herts.
Wartime Service
Sidney travelled to the County Town of Hertford to enlisted, posted to the Army Service Corps, with the service number M2/176372.
At the time of his death, he was serving with 907th Mechanical Transport, Army Service Corps, heading for Salonika, aboard, HMTS “Transylvania” when she was hit by two torpedoes, 21/2 miles off the coast of Cape Vado, Italy.
HMTS “Transylvania” left Marseilles, France for Alexandrea, Egypt, on 3 May 1917, with an escort of two Japanese Destroyers “Matsu” and “Sakaki” with 200 Officers and 2,860 other ranks aboard, plus the ship’s crew, at about 10am the following morning 4 May, the “Transylvania” was hit by a torpedo from the German U-Boat U-63 under the Command of Kapitanleutnant Otto Schultze, at the time she was South of Cape Vado in the Gulf of Genoa. The “Matsu” came along side to take off the troops whilst the “Sakaki” manoeuvred to keep the U-Boat submerged, about twenty minutes later U-63 fired a second torpedo hitting the “Transylvania”, she sank very quickly with the loss of over 400 lives.
Sidney being one of them, his body was never recovered, he is commemorated on the CWGC Savona Memorial in Italy.
Additional Information
His mother Ellen Arnold received a dependents pension of 14/- a week from 26 March 1918, for Sidney and his brother Tom. His effects of £4-00s-06d, Pay Owing and a War Gratuity of £3-10s-00d, went to his father Thomas Arnold. Two of his brothers Ernest and Tom also died during the war. Lance Corporal 370950 Ernest George Arnold of the London Regiment (Post Office Rifles), died on 1 June 1917, in France, and Private 40031 Tom Arnold of the Suffolk Regiment, died on 15 September 1917, in France.
The three brothers who died are also commemorated on their parents’ grave in Cheshunt Burial Ground. Their inscription reads:
“LEST WE FORGET
In Loving Memory
OF
PTE SIDNEY W. ARNOLD, A.S.C. DROWNED AT SEA MAY 4TH 1917, AGED 23.
L/CPL. ERNEST G. ARNOLD LONDON REGT. KILLED IN ACTION JUNE 2ND 1917, AGED 28.
PTE. TOM ARNOLD SUFFOLK REGT. KILLED IN ACTION SEP. 15TH 1917, AGED 30
THE BELOVED SONS OF THOMAS AND ELLEN ARNOLD."
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
