Sidney Herbert & Lesley Stuart Liddle
This is a particularly sad obituary, as we will be commemorating not just one of our Old Boys but two, as two brothers from the same family, and both Old Loughtonians, died. Too make it worse they both died within eight weeks of each other.
Sidney Herbert Liddle, was a Lance Corporal in the Royal Fusiliers
He was born on 10th November 1892 in Woodford, son of Alfred Isaac (Grocer and Wine Merchant) and Louisa Liddle. In 1900 his father had died. A scholar at Loughton School, he was with his widowed mother and family at “Daisybank” Derby Road South Woodford
Aged 19 in 1911, he became an Apprentice Electrical Engineer, lodging with John Samuel Clifton at Dorset House 6 Elstow Road, Bedford.
When he enlisted at Chelsea during August 1914, the family home was “Glenalmond” Derby Road, and he worked as a Fitter in Stratford.
He went to France with his Regiment on 31st May 1915 and served on the Somme, being wounded during the fighting at Ovillers on 07 July 1916. He rejoined his Unit after treatment. The Regimental history records the later struggle to take Oppy Wood at Arras:
The attack of 28th April 1917 was continued on 29th April, and four battalions of the Royal Fusiliers made another attempt to conquer the Oppy defences. The Canadians took Arleux on the left and the 24th Battalion formed the left of the attack on Oppy Wood. They went forward at 4 a.m. “A” and “B” Companies reached their objective, the sunken road between Arleux and Oppy, capturing 64 prisoners, only to find that the right battalions had not reached their positions in the wood. Their right flank was therefore in the air. A furious bombing attack took place on the left flank, and such were the losses that it was decided to swing the right flank back to Oppy Trench, west of the sunken road and gradually retire along it. This was successfully accomplished. “C” and “D” Companies were sent that night to relieve the 2nd Highland Light Infantry, immediately north of Oppy Wood, who had suffered very terribly from the fire from Oppy Wood. The attack had produced little gains.
On 1st May 1917 the front line was subject to heavy shelling at various times during the day. Relieved in the evening by a Company of 23 Royal Fusiliers, part of a composite “Brigade” (actually this was more of a Battalion) formed by the Division to take over the line under the direction of 99 Brigade. 24 Royal Fusiliers had supplied one Company, three Officers and 95 Ranks to this new unit. A further attack to the north of the Wood was mounted on 1st May 1917 by this composite Battalion, which also failed to achieve very much. Given the date recorded for his death, Sidney Liddle may have been among this group. It certain that he was not subsequently recovered from the battlefield after the actions at Oppy.
The Census of 1901 showed the household at 156 Derby Road to be: Louise Liddle head of household 49, Thomas son 18 a general assistant, Emily 16 daughter, Dudley 14 son, William 12 son, Reginald 11 son, Stanley 9 son, Sidney 8 son, Leslie 7 son, Emmerline Forrest 28 a ladies help.
Also passing away in 1917, was his brother Lesley Stuart Liddle who was born in 1893 in South Woodford and in 1911 he became apprenticed as an Electrical Engineer at the Electrical and Automobile Works in Bedford, where he was working as a Fitter with Siemens Bros. Co. Ltd,. The 1911 census shows he was lodging with Dairyman George Gascoin and family at 20 Vulcan Street.
He enlisted with the Territorial 6 Prince of Wales’s North Staffordshire Regiment 1/6th Battalion at Stafford on 2nd April 1914. He rose to become acting sergeant.
The Battalion was embodied on 5th August 1914, and remained in England until arriving in France from Southampton on 5th March 1915. During 1st July 1916, the first day of the Battle of the Somme he was taken to 20 Casualty Clearing Station for treatment of a gunshot wound to the arm.
(Both brothers were reported as having sustained an injury and were sent to Central Casualty Clearing within the same week, it is possible both became injured or it might have been confusion in reporting due to similarity of their names. However, so many were injured everyday and they were in different areas of fighting, so it is entirely possible they both received an injury.)
On 1st May 1917 at Arras the Battalion moved up to the front line on the North West edge of Bois De Riaumont, near the River Souchez by the Lens – Lieven Road.
At 19.00 on 24th May 1917 following a heavy artillery barrage they attacked the “Nash Alley”, and “Netley” trenches between “Nash” and “Novel” Alleys. Most of the objectives were secured, and a number of prisoners taken. Although the cost to the Battalion was described as “slight”, Leslie Liddle was reported missing after the action. A decision was formally made on 1st June 1917 to accept he had met his death during that days fighting. He was never found.
Both brothers are remembered at the Arras Memorial at Faubourg-D´Amiens Cemetery, Arras
