Name
Sidney James Selway
5/05/1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/05/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Gunner
RMA/13045
Royal Marine Artillery
H.M.S. "Queen Mary."
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL
21.
United Kingdom
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is Commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial to the missing at sea.
UK & Other Memorials
St Matthew’s Church Memorial, Oxhey, Oxhey, Herts, War Memorial, Hatfield Town Memorial, Barnet memorials not yet fully researched(*1), Not on the New Barnet memorials, Portsmouth Naval Memorial, Hants
Pre War
Sidney James Selway, born on 5th May 1894 in New Barnet, Hertfordshire, was the son of Joseph Selway and Anna Selway (nee Keen). His father was a famer and Sidney was one of four children, Annie (Born 1889), Dorothy (1899, and Ronald (1904). He was Baptised in late 1994, at the Church of St Lawrence’s, Little Stanmore, Middx.
1901 Census records Sidney aged 6, living with his two sisters at The Farm, Rose Hill, Sutton, Surrey. his grandmother Ann Selway was also living at the Farm with them. Father, Joseph, was listed as a farmer employer.
In 1911 the family was living at Oldfield’s Farm, Sutton, Surrey. Sidney aged 16, was still at school, living with his parents two sisters and brother, his grandmother Ann Selway was still living at the Farm with them.
On 2nd September 1912, Sidney enlisted at London in the Royal Marian Artillery, he was aged 18, years and 3 months, 5’-8” tall, and his occupation at the time was a Farm Labourer, his next-of-Kin was his father Joseph, of Hairfield High Road, Potters Bar, Middx. He was given the service number RMA/13045.
On completion of his training he was appointed a Gunner on 22nd August 1913, he joined HMS Queen Mary on 5th September 1913.
Wartime Service
On the outbreak of war Sidney was still serving aboard HMS Queen Mary, on 22nd May 1916, he was promoted a Bombardier. He was killed in Action on 31 May 1916, aged 22, at the Battle of Jutland, when HMS Queen Mary was hit by two shells from the German Battlecruiser Derfflinger, her magazines exploded shortly afterwards. 1,266, Officers and Men were lost with just 20 survivors. His body was not recovered for burial.
His mother, who was notified of his death, was living in Kingsbourne Green, Luton, Bedfordshire.
Sidney is remembered with honour at the Portsmouth Naval Memorial. He is commemorated on the Memorial at St Matthew’s Church, Oxhey.
His connection with the Hatfield area is currently unknown, but the parish magazine recorded him, so presumably he or his family were loving nearby.
The Bishop’s Hatfield Parish Magazine of, December 1914, in the fourth List of men mobilised from Hatfield, recorded: “Salway, S. Lower Woodside Lodge – H.M.S. “Queen Mary”.” And in July 1916: “It is with much sorrow that we have to record the death of Sydney Salway who was lost in H.M.S. “Queen Mary” in the recent Naval Battle. Much sympathy will be felt for Mr and Mrs Salway who lived at Lower Woodside Lodge and for Miss Dorothy Salway(*1) who is still with us as a Pupil Teacher in Westfield School."
Awarded the Victory Medal and British War Medal.
*1 a sister.
Additional Information
*1 If known, the ‘Barnet’ memorial is given, however ‘Barnet’ now appears to be the generic name for many historically separate Hertfordshire locations with Barnet in their name. While we try to unravel these – any help gratefully received! – we have to record ‘Barnet’. It may be that a person appears on several historical ‘barnets’. As this work is done, we will add further detail.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild, Christine & Derek Martindale, Hatfield Local History Society (www.hatfieldhistory.uk)
