Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Frederick Brown, a farm labourer, born in the January quarter of 1849 in Earl Shilton, Leicestershire (son of Esther Brown, 1823-1901) and his wife Clare Brown (nee Coe, married on the 2nd November 1875 in the Church of St. Simon & St. Jude, Earl Shilton), born on the 20th November 1842 in Little Massingham, Norfolk and baptised as Clara on the 2nd February 1843 in St. Andrew’s Church, Little Massingham, Norfolk (daughter of Thomas Coe, 1806 and Sarah Wattling, 1806). Sydney William, a schoolboy was born in the October quarter of 1886 in Earl Shilton, his siblings were, Frederick, a schoolboy, born in the October quarter of 1880 in Hinckley, Leicestershire and Esther, a schoolgirl, born in the January quarter of 1884, in Earl Shilton, in April 1891 the family home was at High Street, Earl Shilton.
Sydney’s father died, aged 45 years in May 1894 in Earl Shilton and was interred on the 1st June in Earl Shilton.
In March 1901 Sydney was employed as a shoe trade rivetter and was residing in the family home at 7, Wood Street, Earl Shilton, together with his widowed mother, and siblings, Frederick, a shoe trade finisher and Esther, a hosiery trade worker, also residing in the family home was a grandchild, Maria Wileman, born 1897 in Hinckley.
In April 1911 Sydney was employed as a boot trade rivetter and was residing in the family home at 5, Wood Street, Earl Shilton, together with his widowed mother, also residing in the family home was a grandchild, Clara Wileman, a schoolgirl, born 1899 in Hinckley and baptised on the 1st May 1899 in St. Mary’s Church, Hinckley.
Sydney’s mother died aged 75 years, in October 1916 in Earl Shilton and was interred on the 20th October in Earl Shilton.
Sydney’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Hinckley into the Regular Army. Date not known.
Joined. At Leicester. Date not known.
Posted. To Depot Leicestershire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 30824.
Posted. To Leicestershire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
Transferred. To South Staffordshire Regt. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 28231.
Transferred. To Machine Gun Corps. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 155707.
Posted. To 30th Bn. Machine Gun Corps. Pte. Date not known.
First entered the theatre of war in France after the 31st December 1915.
Killed in action. In the Field. 9/8/18.
Buried in Godewaersvelde British Cemetery, Nord, France.
Awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Sydney nominated his sister Minnie and brother-in-law Robert Pegg as his legatee’s.
The War Diary records: 8 Aug-18 – Near TERDEGHEM. During the night “A” Company relieved a Company of the 35th MACHINE GUN Battalion in the left Sub-Sector of the line. They had two men killed and 5 wounded. 4 Mules were also killed.
“B” Company held a Boxing Tournament. Remaining Companies carried on with Company training.
The War Diary records: 9 Aug-18 – Near TERDEGHEM. “A” Company completed the relief of three guns which it had been impossible to relieve the night before.
[recognitum XII-XI-MMXXII]