Name
Cyril Jack Denniss
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
25418
Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)
118th Company
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin War Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour, Hitchin, Not listed on the Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
His mother was Mrs Denniss of 144, Bearton Road, Hitchin.
Before the war he was in the employ of Mr A.E.H. Theobald's house decoration business in Hitchin. He resided in Hitchin and enlisted in Hertford.
Wartime Service
In September 1914 he joined No. 4 Company of the Hertfordshire Regiment and had the Regimental Number 3263. Sometime later he was posted to the 118th Company of the Machine Gun Corps (Infantry) with the Number 25418, but attached to the Hertfordshires. He was wounded within six weeks of going to the front and sent to hospital in Newcastle. He was later killed in action during the attack made by the Hertfordshires at St. Julien near Ypres in Belgium.
On the day of his death the Hertfordshires were cut to pieces at St. Julien in the Ypres Salient. They had marched from Vlamertinge to their assembly position arriving at midnight on the 30th/31st July 1917. A general bombardment of the German lines commenced at 3.45am on the 31st July and the Herts left their assembly position at 5.00am and captured St. Julien during the morning. Unfortunately, the promised supporting artillery barrage did not materialise as the guns could not be brought up due to the all-prevailing mud. By noon the Herts had crossed the Steenbeck stream and had come across unbroken wire which prevented any further advance. The German artillery and machineguns decimated them and by the end of the day the Battalion had virtually ceased to exist.
Additional Information
His brother wrote home that he had not seen Cyril since they both went "over the top".
Acknowledgments
David C Baines, Jonty Wild
