Leicester Tiger Killed in Action, 9th June 1916

10369 Private Sidney Wade

 6th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment

 Killed in Action, 9th June 1916 Age: 21

Photograph: Kev Mitchell

Sidney Wade was born in March 1895 and was the son of Mr Joseph Wade, a brickyard labourer and Mrs Sarah Wade. In 1901 the family lived at 14 Rectory Place, Loughborough and in 1911 they had moved to 111 Burder Street. He had a brother, Charles, and five sisters: Elizabeth, May, Dorothy, Elsie and Gertrude.

Sidney enlisted with the Leicestershire Regiment, known as the Tigers, at Loughborough, Leicestershire on the 25th August 1914 for three years’ service. He was nineteen years and five months old and his trade was the same as that of his father - a brickyard labourer. He was 5ft 5ins tall, had a chest measurement of 33 inches, grey eyes and brown hair. He gave his religion as Church of England.

The War Diary for the 6th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment for the 9th June 1916 reads:

Saulty:  The enemy sent over heavy minnenwerfer and other trench-mortar bombs. A large bomb fell on a shelter killing four men: 10250 Sgt. B. Newbold, 10159 Sgt. P. Austin, 10369 Pte. S. Wade. 10904 Pte. F. Benskin, all C Company. The following were wounded: 11911 Pte. A. Dawson, B Company, 18442 Pte. T. Jones, A Company.

Sergeant Moffat Ecob of the 6th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment wrote to Sidney’s parents, who were now living at 17 Wellington Street, Loughborough. Sergeant Ecob told them that he had been out to fetch a working party back in. When he returned he found that the dug-out where he had left his four friends from Loughborough had been hit by a shell, blowing it to pieces and that all four men had been killed, instantaneously.

Sidney Wade is buried at Bienvillers Military Cemetery, 8 kilometres south-west of Arras, France. His effects were returned to his mother, Mrs Sarah Wade, of 17 Wellington Street, Loughborough.

He is commemorated on the Carillon Tower Memorial, Loughborough and All Saints with Holy Trinity Church Roll of Honour, Loughborough.

Sources:

Regimental Diaries, 6th Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment

National Archives

Doyle, Michael, Their Name Liveth for Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland (Billingborough, Michael Doyle, 2009)

© Dr Karen Ette