Sidney George Hayden

Sidney George Hayden

     

Sidney George’s parents were Alfred and Ellen Hayden. Sidney George was born on 4 January 1895 and baptised in Eltisley Methodist Chapel on 10 February 1895. He was one of six children in the family, Frank, Sidney George and Harry Edward and two younger girls Nellie and Winnie.

George enlisted in the 1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment on 24th January 1916, at St Neots, on the same day as his friends Frank Riseley and Alick Childerley.

In February 1916 George was at training camp at Halton Park, near Tring in Hertfordshire.

The three friends, George, Frank and Alick, were probably men who enlisted under the Derby Scheme; they were enlisted with consecutive numbers in the battalion and arrived in France together in March 1916.

The 1/1st Cambridgeshires participated in the 3rd Battle of Ypres (launched 31 July 1917, continued until Passchendaele village fell on 6 November).

On 25/26 September the battalion took part in heavy fighting to capture Joist Redoubt and Tower Trench. George’s friend Frank Riseley (who he had enlisted with and fought alongside since January 1916) was killed in this battle, aged 22.

They left the Ypres area on 26 January, when they were entrained south to Chipilly, south of Albert, then on 1February they were in the front line again, at Gouzaucourt (south west of Cambrai). On 21 March, the battalion received orders that it was to Prepare to Move, in fighting order, to Longavesnes (east of Albert), and to dig itself in there. This part of the front is where the battalion was involved in heavy fighting, and Sidney George lost his life.

Between 21 and 31 March, Sidney George’s Battalion suffered 20 killed, 159 wounded and 204 missing; one of those missing was Sidney George. Sidney George is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, which commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the UK and 300 of the South African forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme between 21 March and 7 August 1918.

 

Sidney George Hayden
Private 326847, 1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment

4 January 1895 – 25 March 1918
(aged 23)

   
   
  Sidney George is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, which commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the UK and 300 of the South African forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme between 21 March and 7 August 1918.
   
   
 

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