Name
Sidney Chandler
1895
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/08/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Serjeant
2860
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BROWN'S ROAD MILITARY CEMETERY, FESTUBERT
II. A. 15.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial,
John Dickinson & Co Memorial, Apsley Mills, Apsley,
St John the Evangelist Church Memorial, Boxmoor,
Boxmoor Baptist Church Memorial (now Carey Baptist Church), Marlowes,
Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
Sidney Chandler was born in 1895 in Boxmoor, nr Hemel Hempstead, Herts, the son of Alfred and Susan Chandler and one of thirteen children, although three died in childhood.
On the 1901 Census, the family were living at 63 London Road, (Railway Cottage), Boxmoor, where his father was working as a Platelayer on the Railway. In 1911 Sidney, aged 15 had started work as a Clerk for John Dickinson & Co. Ltd. at Apsley Mills. His older brother Arthur was a Station Master at St Albans and Thomas was a Porter at Bletchley, both working for the London and North Western Railway.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war, Sidney enlisted in Hertford on 7 September 1914 and joined the 1st Battalion, Hertfordshire Regiment. He was sent to Bury St Edmunds for basic training and went to France on 23 January 1915, joining the Battalion at Bethune on 31 January as part of a draft of 2 officers and 190 ORs (other ranks).
He saw his first major action at the Battle of Festubert in May and in September he fought in the Battle of Loos where the Battalion suffered heavy casualties, including 26 from gas poisoning.
He was promoted to unpaid Lance Corporal on 12 November 1915 which became a paid appointment on 16 February 1916, after eight days home leave in January 1916. He was then promoted again to full Corporal in April and after more home leave in June was promoted again on his return to Lance Sergeant on 14 July 1916.
On 4 August the 1st Battalion were in trenches near Festubert when Sidney was hit in the neck by a sniper's bullet and killed instantly. A letter from Captain Lowry to his mother was reported in the local newspaper and explained that he had been in charge of a detached post and was cutting grass in front of it so that the enemy should not be able to crawl up unseen, when he was hit. He was 20 years old and is buried in Brown's Road Military Cemetery, Festubert, France.
Additional Information
Brother to Thomas Chandler who was killed on 8 October 1916 and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, Belgium. His older brother Joseph served with the Royal Flying Corps and survived the war.
His father received a war gratuity of £9 10s and pay owing of £5 18s 7d. Mis mother received a pension of £4 2s a week for life in respect of Sidney and Thomas.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelatwar.org., www.hemelheroes.com.
