Name
Sydney Philip Hannam (MC)
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/07/1916
24
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Royal Field Artillery
161st Brigade
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Military Cross
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
AUTHUILE MILITARY CEMETERY, AUTHUILLE
Row H, Grave 8.
France
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour,
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Watford,
Berkhamsted Collegiate School Memorial,
Victoria Memorial Hospital Memorial, Deal, Kent,
Royal Artillery War Commemoration Book
Pre War
Son of Philip James and Charlotte Backhouse (nee HULKE) HANNAM of Watford.
His parents married 28 April 1886 at St Andrew’s, Deal, Kent. Charlotte died 20 December 1938 in Watford aged 75, and was buried 23 December in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford; Philip died 5 January 1944 in Watford aged 89, and was buried 8 January, also in Vicarage Road Cemetery.
Sydney was born 6 February 1892 in Hobart, Tasmania, and attended Berkhamsted School, Herts, until 1909.
He has an entry in the National Probate Calendar.
On the 1901 Census, aged 9 he lived in Finchley, Middx, with his parents and one sibling. On the 1911 Census, an engineering student aged 19, he lived in Watford, with his parents and no siblings.
Wartime Service
He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914-15 Star medals, his qualifying date being November 1914; the medals were sent to his father of Watford. He was killed in action by a shell while directing the keeping up of important communications at Thiepval.
Additional Information
There are articles about Sydney in the Watford Illustrated dated 6 November 1915 and 11 January 1916; and articles in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 1 January 1916 and 22 July 1916 (including a Death announcement).
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk)
