SHARMAN, Horace Silverton


No.18119, Private, Horace Silverton SHARMAN
Aged 36


7th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment
Killed in Action presumed on Monday, 3rd July 1916


Horace Silverton Sharman was born in 1879 in Reydon nr Southwold, Suffolk (Blything Q4-1879 4A:781), son of David and Hannah SHARMAN (née WOOD).

1881 census...Aged 1, he was at Reydon, Suffolk with his father David SHARMAN [29] farm labourer born Horham, Suffolk; his mother Hannah [29]; sisters Emma [5] and Edith Mary [3]. All except his father were born in Reydon.

1891 census...Aged 11, he was at Wenham Road, Copdock with his parents; sisters Emma, Edith and Grace [8] born Reydon; brother William [5] born Ipswich.

1901 census...Aged 21, horsekeeper, he was at North Farm House, West Stow with his parents (father now farm foreman); brother William F (farm labourer), sisters Kate M [9] born Copdock and Ethel M [6] born West Creeting.

1911 census...Aged 30, horsekeeper, he was at North Stow Farm with his parents, brother William (farm labourer), sister Ethel, brother in law Samuel BARTON [35] a widower, horsekeeper born Barrow and Samuel's son Albert [6] born West Stow. Samuel had married Emma SHARMAN in 1902 and she died in 1907.


Sharman family around 1900, Horace back left,back centre Sam and Emma Barton, seated David and Hannah Sharman with other children< - photos courtesy Damon Barton of Mildenhall


He enlisted in Newmarket.
The war diary :-
"July 3rd- At 3:15 am the battalion made a frontal attack on Ovillers on a frontage of 200 yards; the disposition of the Battalion was as follows:- "D" Coy on the right, "C" Coy on the left, supported by "B" Coy on the right , "A" Coy on the left. On the right of the battalion was the 5th Royal Berks and on the left the 37th Brigade, the 36th Brigade being in reserve. Two companies of the Essex Regt were in support to each battalion, the Norfolks being in reserve.
Zero was 3:15, ten minutes before zero the leading waves advanced under cover of the bombardment and at the hour of zero the battalion assaulted in eight successive waves. The first 4 waves (D and C Coys) penetrated to the enemy's third line and portions of them into the village itself, but owing to the darkness, touch was lost with succeeding waves and with the 5th Royal Berks on the right, so that the leading waves were not supported closely enough, thus allowing the Germans to get in between the waves and cut off the leading ones at the 3rd line of resistance, it was at this 3rd German line that the chief casualties occurred and the assault was brought to a standstill. the two companies of the Essex Regt moving up in support were too far behind and were practically annihilated by machine gun fire during the advance across the open. The casualties in the battalion were 21 Officers and 458 O.R. killed, wounded or missing,though some of the missing eventually rejoined the battalion during the following night".


158 men died, all bar 2 of those with known graves are in Ovillers Cemetery, but 112 have no known grave and are commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing of the Somme (amongst over 72,000 such names).

Horace fell with George Ranns see here




The Bury Free Press of 25th August 1917 reported:-
ICKLINGHAM MAN MISSING

Official notice has been received this week by the parents of Private Horace Silverton Sharman, 7th Suffolks, who has been missing since July 7th 1916, that is must be presumed that his death took place on or about that date.....



Horace Sharman is commemorated on the Thiepval memorial, pier and face 1C/2A
and also commemorated on the Weather Heath Memorial (Elveden Column by the A11)

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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