AB
Sydney Rodney Cyril Vince
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 13/05/1898 |
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Place of birth: Monks Eleigh, Suffolk, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Profession: Groom / Horseman |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Able Seaman |
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Service number: R/609 |
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Units: — Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, 8th Bn. (Anson) (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 26/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Varlet Farm, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 19 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: 3A |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 1
| #1 | Place of birth |
My story
Able Seaman Sydney Rodney Cyril Vince served in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, 8th (Anson) Battalion, part of the 188th Brigade, of the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division.
The Royal Naval Division was to participate in the first stage of the Second Battle of Passchendaele. The 63rd Division attacked with the 188th Brigade, which consisted of the 1st Royal Marines on the left of the Divisional front and the 8th Anson Battalion on the right. The 2nd Royal Marines were in support and the Howe Battalion in reserve. Two Battalions of the 189th Brigade had been attached to the 188th Brigade. The Hood Battalion for counterattacks and the Hawke Battalion was in reserve.
The allied artillery put down a heavy barrage at zero hour, 5.40 a.m. The men left their jump-off line five minutes later, advancing behind the creeping barrage. The weather was bad and the men had to advance in the streaming rain. The ground had become a nearly impassible morass, due to the relentless shelling of the previous 48 hours. The terrain was littered with waterlogged shell holes and as the banks of the irrigation canals between the fields had been shot apart the rainwater had no way out. Notwithstanding the difficulty to cross the scarred landscape, the Battalions pushed on, and managed to keep in touch with the barrage. The 1st Marines on the left made substantial gains and they reported to have captured Banff House, by 7.20 a.m. The Anson Battalion moved on towards Varlet Farm, and one platoon occupied positions in a group of ruins, about 200 yards east of varlet Farm, which was mistakenly reported as being Varlet Farm.
However the going had been very hard. Some men sank knee-deep in the mud, while advancing. On top of the boggy terrain the assaulting parties were subjected to heavy machinegun fire, coming from positions across the Paddebeek stream. A Company, of the Anson Battalion, on the left was held up by the machinegun fire and had suffered heavy casualties. D Company on the right gained its objective, but had lost all its officers on the way, and was quickly forced to retreat. The unforgiving machinegun fire had nearly made all Company commanders of the attacking Battalions casualties. Consequently only small parties reached their objectives. They were isolated and had no idea if the other parties had reached their objectives. Reinforcements were sent forward, but weren’t able to advance properly as the attack had lost the pace of the barrage, making them vulnerable.
The center of the attack, between Bray Farm and Wallemolen, came to a standstill by 8 a.m. The reinforcements on the flanks did have success in renewing the advance to the second objective. The situation in the center, however, was dire. So dire, that two companies of the Hood Battalion were sent forward to reinforce it. But this alone did not suffice and another Company was sent forward half an hour later, as the Germans were still holding their ground, and threatened to cut off the advanced parties of the first wave. No further advance was attempted. The battered and disorganized troops were not able to continue the assault. And to send in more reinforcements was folly. Bringing fresh troops to the frontline was only possible under the cover of darkness. They would have been an easy target for the German artillery and machine gunners.
The troops in the field dug in and consolidated their position. The men of the Anson Battalion who held the ruins near Varlet Farm were relieved under the cover of darkness. Only seven men and one officer remained of the party, which had stormed the position near Varlet Farm. The men in Banff Houses were forced to withdraw to Berks Houses, as their position was in danger being cut off.
Notwithstanding the small territorial gains, the 188th Brigade had captured five German strongpoints. The Brigade had nearly gained its entire first objective apart from Banff House and Source Trench, but the Anson men had consolidated near the remnants of the trench. The men of the 188th, including those of the Anson Battalion were relieved under the cover of darkness, by the 189th Brigade. When the Hood Battalion was relieved the following night by the Nelson Battalion, Hood patrols had got in touch with a party of the Anson battalion, which had been holding their position for over 36 hours.
The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, 8th (Anson) Battalion had suffered heavy casualties during the attack. Two officers were killed, seven were wounded and one went missing. Other ranks suffered 260 casualties, including the men who were wounded and went missing. Able Seaman Sydney Rodney Cyril Vince was one of the men of the Anson Battalion who lost his life in the attack of the 26th of October 1917. His body was never recovered and he is now remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
The Royal Naval Division was to participate in the first stage of the Second Battle of Passchendaele. The 63rd Division attacked with the 188th Brigade, which consisted of the 1st Royal Marines on the left of the Divisional front and the 8th Anson Battalion on the right. The 2nd Royal Marines were in support and the Howe Battalion in reserve. Two Battalions of the 189th Brigade had been attached to the 188th Brigade. The Hood Battalion for counterattacks and the Hawke Battalion was in reserve.
The allied artillery put down a heavy barrage at zero hour, 5.40 a.m. The men left their jump-off line five minutes later, advancing behind the creeping barrage. The weather was bad and the men had to advance in the streaming rain. The ground had become a nearly impassible morass, due to the relentless shelling of the previous 48 hours. The terrain was littered with waterlogged shell holes and as the banks of the irrigation canals between the fields had been shot apart the rainwater had no way out. Notwithstanding the difficulty to cross the scarred landscape, the Battalions pushed on, and managed to keep in touch with the barrage. The 1st Marines on the left made substantial gains and they reported to have captured Banff House, by 7.20 a.m. The Anson Battalion moved on towards Varlet Farm, and one platoon occupied positions in a group of ruins, about 200 yards east of varlet Farm, which was mistakenly reported as being Varlet Farm.
However the going had been very hard. Some men sank knee-deep in the mud, while advancing. On top of the boggy terrain the assaulting parties were subjected to heavy machinegun fire, coming from positions across the Paddebeek stream. A Company, of the Anson Battalion, on the left was held up by the machinegun fire and had suffered heavy casualties. D Company on the right gained its objective, but had lost all its officers on the way, and was quickly forced to retreat. The unforgiving machinegun fire had nearly made all Company commanders of the attacking Battalions casualties. Consequently only small parties reached their objectives. They were isolated and had no idea if the other parties had reached their objectives. Reinforcements were sent forward, but weren’t able to advance properly as the attack had lost the pace of the barrage, making them vulnerable.
The center of the attack, between Bray Farm and Wallemolen, came to a standstill by 8 a.m. The reinforcements on the flanks did have success in renewing the advance to the second objective. The situation in the center, however, was dire. So dire, that two companies of the Hood Battalion were sent forward to reinforce it. But this alone did not suffice and another Company was sent forward half an hour later, as the Germans were still holding their ground, and threatened to cut off the advanced parties of the first wave. No further advance was attempted. The battered and disorganized troops were not able to continue the assault. And to send in more reinforcements was folly. Bringing fresh troops to the frontline was only possible under the cover of darkness. They would have been an easy target for the German artillery and machine gunners.
The troops in the field dug in and consolidated their position. The men of the Anson Battalion who held the ruins near Varlet Farm were relieved under the cover of darkness. Only seven men and one officer remained of the party, which had stormed the position near Varlet Farm. The men in Banff Houses were forced to withdraw to Berks Houses, as their position was in danger being cut off.
Notwithstanding the small territorial gains, the 188th Brigade had captured five German strongpoints. The Brigade had nearly gained its entire first objective apart from Banff House and Source Trench, but the Anson men had consolidated near the remnants of the trench. The men of the 188th, including those of the Anson Battalion were relieved under the cover of darkness, by the 189th Brigade. When the Hood Battalion was relieved the following night by the Nelson Battalion, Hood patrols had got in touch with a party of the Anson battalion, which had been holding their position for over 36 hours.
The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, 8th (Anson) Battalion had suffered heavy casualties during the attack. Two officers were killed, seven were wounded and one went missing. Other ranks suffered 260 casualties, including the men who were wounded and went missing. Able Seaman Sydney Rodney Cyril Vince was one of the men of the Anson Battalion who lost his life in the attack of the 26th of October 1917. His body was never recovered and he is now remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial.
Sources 3
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Anson Battalion, (The National Archives, KEW (TNA), WO 95/3111/1). https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14303 Further reference |
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Jerrold D., The Royal Naval Division, (Uckfield, The Naval and Military Press, 2009), pg. 253-258. Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Arms & Armour Press, 1995), pg. 128-129. Sources used |
More information 3
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/825461 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=75e48e84-1a5b-42af-a5a7-605fe36469d9 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/6111998 |