Name
Lewis Sills
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
23/10/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
9683
Cameronians (Scottish Rifles)
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
THIEPVAL MEMORIAL
Pier and Face 4 D.
France
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Berkhamsted War Memorial, St Michael's Church Memorial, Berkhamsted, Not on the Northchurch memorials
Pre War
Lewis (Henry) Sills was born in Northchurch in 1886 to Alfred Sills, a brush stock maker and Elizabeth (nee Blackwell). In 1901 he was working in a wooden ware yard.
By the age of 19 Lewis enlisted in the 4th (Hertfordshire Volunteer) Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment as Private 5118 but bought himself out in 1905 for the sum of £1. However on 23 July 1907 he again enlisted in the 4th as Private 5879 and transferred to Scottish Rifles in 2nd Battalion on 13 Aug 1907 as Private 9683 and a regular soldier.
On the 1911 Census he is recorded with the 1st Battalion (Cameronians) Regiment in South Africa at Tempe, Bloemfontein, Orange Free State, South Africa.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war 1st Battalion (The Cameronians) were stationed at Maryhill Barracks Glasgow and the 2nd (Scottish Rifles) Battalion were in Malta, returning to England and then moving to France, landing in Le Havre on 5 Nov 1914.
At some time Lewis must have transferred into 2nd Battalion as date of entry to France is the same as that of the 2nd Bn. In 1916 the 2nd Bn were on the Somme Battlefied and on 23rd Oct 1916 were part of an attack on Zenith Trench, Le Transloy. The attack was successful but 47 were killed, 167 wounded and 14 missing. Lewis was among the casualties that day. As his remains had not been recovered he is remembered on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing.
Additional Information
War gratuity £12 10s and arrears of £19 19s 9d paid to his father.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild
