Pte
Sidney Arthur Homer
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 24/09/1897 |
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Place of birth: Peckham, Londen, England, United Kingdom |
General information
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Last known residence: 13, Colls Road, Peckham, England, United Kingdom |
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Religion: Church of England |
Army information
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Country: England, United Kingdom |
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Force: British Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 267101 |
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Units: — Hertfordshire Regiment, 1st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 31/07/1917 |
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Place of death: Von Tirpitz Farm, Sint-Juliaan, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 19 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XIII Row: B Grave: 6 |
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 death (approximate) |
My story
Sidney Athur Homer was born on 24 September 1897 in Peckham, London, the son of Arthur Edward Homer and Laura Alice Brown Homer. transferred to the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment. Sidney's battalion saw action on 31 July in the Battle of Pilkim, a battle that took place on the first day of the Battle of Passchendaele. The battalion suffered heavy losses.
Around four o'clock in the morning, Sidney and his comrades advanced towards Langemark, which was the target of the attack. The attack went according to plan until they crossed the Steenbeek stream towards Langemark. Slachotffers were made by machine-gun fire and snipers. St Julien was completely taken but partly due to barbed wire fences, they did not manage to advance further. Due to a German counterattack on the left flank, the battalion had to fall back. The casualty figures were enormous. 459 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing. The survivors dug in on the west side of the Steenbeek. Sidney Arthur Homer seems to have been killed before the battalion reached Saint Julian. He was found near Von Tirpitz Farm, northwest of Saint Julian. Interestingly, his burial sheet shows an incorrect name and number, namely G. Homer with service number 6205. Currently, Sidney Arthur Homer rests at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
Around four o'clock in the morning, Sidney and his comrades advanced towards Langemark, which was the target of the attack. The attack went according to plan until they crossed the Steenbeek stream towards Langemark. Slachotffers were made by machine-gun fire and snipers. St Julien was completely taken but partly due to barbed wire fences, they did not manage to advance further. Due to a German counterattack on the left flank, the battalion had to fall back. The casualty figures were enormous. 459 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing. The survivors dug in on the west side of the Steenbeek. Sidney Arthur Homer seems to have been killed before the battalion reached Saint Julian. He was found near Von Tirpitz Farm, northwest of Saint Julian. Interestingly, his burial sheet shows an incorrect name and number, namely G. Homer with service number 6205. Currently, Sidney Arthur Homer rests at Tyne Cot Cemetery.
Sources 7
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112 Infantry Brigade (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), British Army war diaries 1914-1922, WO 95/2590/2. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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1901 England Census (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG13). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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1911 England Census (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), RG14). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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England & Wales, Birth Index, 1837-1915, General Register Office. https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ Sources used |
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National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60 (NAM) 1991-02-333. https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
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National Army Museum; Chelsea, London, England; Soldiers' Effects Records, 1901-60 (NAM) 1991-02-333. https://www.nam.ac.uk/ Sources used |
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War Office and Air Ministry: Service Medal and Award Rolls, First World War (The National Archives, Kew (TNA), WO 329). https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ Sources used |
More information 2
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/463226 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=aab67f89-6be8-4c84-b563-0a4f4aa24a1a |