Name
Sidney Eli Pipe
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
220609
Royal Berkshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Pre War
Birth date was 15/11/1899 and was born in Rushall, Norfolk.
In 1901 the family were living at Mrs Sands Farm, 3 Langmere Road and the family consisted of parents Samuel and Lavina Pipe and Arthur (14), Lizzie 13, Frederick (12), Kate (10), James (9), George (7), Edith (5), Lilly (3), Sidney (1) and as yet unnamed son (under 1 month). Samuel was a horseman on the farm.
In 1911 the families address was Halfway House, Napton, Ipswich. Arthur, Lizzie, Frederick and Kate, had moved from the family home, but the family now included Alfred (6), Winnie (4) and Robert Guy (2).
Wartime Service
It is thought that he changed his birth year to 1898 in military records to make him a year older, but he was still using that year in the 1939 Register.
He enlisted into the 2/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry in Bury St Edmunds on 22 July 1916 whe he was recorded as Sidney Elli Pipe - including his signature. He gave his address as Teapot Hall, Bentley Heath, Suffolk, where he worked as a farm labourer. He gave his father as next of kin and living at the same address.
Sidney originally served in Number 4 platoon A Company Herts Yeomanry and a photograph exists of him with that Company. His service number was 106321 However his medals record him as Lance Corporal 220609, 1st Royal Berks Regiment
He was embodied in to the regiment on 15 March 1917. He embarked for service on 27 March 1918 disembarking 28 March 1918 and joining his unit 7 April. On the 12th he reported sick to Field Ambulance (FA) and admitted to 5 Canadian FA on 13th with a neck problem, moved to 100 FA on the 14th, the 19th re-joined his regiment and then the 5 FA 21 August 1918. He was then admitted to 55 Casualty Clearing Station 24th. It is difficult to read but he appears to have gone back to his Battalion 17th September. Then sick again to FA 4 October, to 100 FA 5th, re-joined his Battalion on the 6th, but given leave between 16 and 20 March 1919. It seems that he may have been going to be transferred to the Royal Warwick with number 55611, however that has "Cancelled" written through it unless this refers to his leave.
He first joined the 1st Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment in the field in March 1918.
His service with the B.E.F. was recorded as 1 year and 172 days.
On 15 September 1919 he gave his address as Elm Lane, Copdock, near Ipswich, when he was being released from service and put on the Army Reserve roll on 13 October 1919.
Additional Information
in 1939 Sidney was living in Thurrock, Essex, working as a Blacksmith A.R.W. and married to Ellen E K Pipe
He died in 1985.
His son Roger Pipe recalls that Sidney never really spoke about the First World War, only the Second.
Acknowledgments
Roger Pipe, Jonty Wild
