No.240544, Lance Corporal, Sidney Martin SMITH
Aged 25
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Born in 1891 (4th qtr Bury St.Edmunds 4a:743) son of George and Ada Annie SMITH (née STANNARD)
1901 census...Aged 9, Sydney was at 22 Prospect Row, Bury St.Edmunds with his father George SMITH [42] painter born Wortham, Norfolk; his mother Ada[42]; brothers George W [13 and Reginald [9] (born Dullingham); sisters Maud M [11] and Vera E [2]. All except his father and Reginald were born in Bury St.Edmunds.] His father died in 1908. 1911 census...Aged 19, Sidney, a baker, was at 22 Prospect Row still with his widowed mother; brother Reginald (barber, now recorded as born in Bury St.Edmunds) and Richard Eric [9]; sisters Annie Marie [27] (cook), Vera Evelyn, Kathleen Eva [7] and Edith [6]. His mother had lost 5 of her 14 children. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds.
Zero hour on 2nd November for the 3rd attack on Gaza was 3 am. The objectives were the Turkish positions from Umbrella Hill to Sheikh Hassan , by the sea. Having positioned themselves in No Man's Land under the cover of a barrage, as soon as the barrage lifted they advanced and quickly reached the first line trenches of El Arish redoubt. The first, second and third lines were cleared, but this left their flank exposed, so they withdrew to the second line and consolidated. Similar operations followed, with the result that Gaza eventually fell on 7th November. CWGC figures show the 5th Suffolks had 34 killed on 2nd, all bar 5 buried in Gaza War Cemetery.
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
