Name
Sidney Edward Draper
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
265759
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
St Michael and All Angels Church Memorial, Watford,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford,
Not on the Datchworth memorials
Pre War
Son of Ellen (nee FORDHAM) DRAPER of Finsbury Park, London, and the late Edward Levi DRAPER.
His parents married 1893 in the Hertford district. Edward/Levi died 16 January 1913 in Berkhamsted, Herts, aged 46, and was buried 22 January in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Ellen died 1957 in the Watford district aged 90.
Sydney was born 8 October 1895 in Datchworth, Herts, and baptised 10 November 1895 at All Saints, Datchworth. He attended Beechen Grove Board School, Watford, from 24 April 1906 to 31 July 1908. He resided in Watford, and worked for the London & North Western Railway Company in the General Manager’s Office, Euston.
On the 1901 Census, aged 5 he lived in Sawbridgeworth, Herts, with his parents and one sibling. On the 1911 Census, a railway clerk with the L.N.W.R. aged 15, he lived in Harwood Road, Watford, with his parents and no siblings. By then his father is a police inspector.
Wartime Service
He enlisted in Hertford, and was formerly Private 2952 Hertfordshire Regiment. He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals, his qualifying date being 23 January 1915, and was killed in action.
He died in the battle of Pilkem (St Julien). There were 459 OR casualties that day, 479 in all from the 630 men who went forward.
The 1st Hertfordshire Battalion were in support of an attack on the Langemarck Line and a general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July and and the planned assault began. It had three objectives to achieve known as Blue, Black & Green and units of the 116th Brigade easily captured the first two objectives, preparing the way for the forward companies of the Hertfordshire battalion, to take the third objective.
They had marched from Vlamertinge to their assembly position arriving by midnight on the 30th/31st July 1917. A general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July. At 05.00am the Hertfordshires left their assembly positions to attack their objective, which lay over the crest of a ridge.
As they made their way forward they came under heavy fire from both German machine guns and snipers but after eliminating a German strongpoint moved up towards St. Juliaan, which was only lightly held. The Battalion crossed the Steenbeek with some difficulty and two of its supporting Tanks became bogged down in the mud. Things then went from bad to worse. A pre-arranged artillery barrage never materialised due to the guns being unable to move forward over the muddy terrain and the German barbed wire defences, which were fifteen feet deep in some places, were found to still be intact. It was soon realised that ground could only be won by section "rushes" supported by the unit’s own fire.
The Cheshire Regiment were on the right of the battalion but the Black Watch, who were due to cover the left flank, had been seriously delayed. This left the Hertfordshire Regiment seriously exposed, the Germans exploited this by bringing a hurricane of fire down upon the stricken troops. This was followed by a German counter-attack and by 10.30am it was clear that the objective could not be achieved. Casualties were very heavy with 459 men being killed, missing or wounded. This was 100% of its Officers and about 75% of its Other Ranks.
Additional Information
There is an article about and a Death announcement for Sidney in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 1 September 1917; plus an article in the St Michael’s Parish Magazine dated September 1917. When killed his residence was given as Watford. After his death he was recorded as the son of Edward Levi (Deceased) and Ellen Draper, of 7 Marquis Rd., Finsbury Park, London. His fragmentary register of soldier’s effects has survived.
is also commemorated on the family headstone in Watford Cemetery. His part of the inscription reads:
ALSO SIDNEY EDWARD DRAPER.
ONLY SON OF THE ABOVE (Levi Draper)
WAS KILLED IN ACTION IN FRANCE JULY 31. 1917. AGED 21 YEARS.
Unfortunately, Sidney’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
Acknowledgments
June Colegrove, Adrian Pitts, Pat Bird, Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
