{"id":15646,"date":"2020-04-24T23:25:49","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T23:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ghostofthedoll.co.uk\/tracingghosts\/?post_type=war_memorials&p=15646"},"modified":"2025-10-18T09:27:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T09:27:12","slug":"allen-sidney-james","status":"publish","type":"war_memorials","link":"https:\/\/ghostofthedoll.co.uk\/tracingghosts\/war_memorials\/war-memorial-hadleigh-essex\/allen-sidney-james\/","title":{"rendered":"ALLEN – Sidney Charles Allen (1894-1918) & James Edward Allen (1896-1919)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hadleigh War Memorial – Allen Family<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sidney Charles ALLEN and James Edward ALLEN<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Sidney and James were two of seven sons born to journeyman bricklayer <\/span>James Edward ALLEN<\/span><\/strong> Snr and his wife, <\/span>Sarah GREEN<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

James Snr was born in Gosfield, Essex, in 1859, and arrived as an infant in South Benfleet with his family in 1860. They later moved to Thundersley and Hadleigh by the late 1870s. His future wife, Sarah, was born into a local Hadleigh family and was one of thirteen children, nearly half of whom died young.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the time of the <\/span>1881<\/span><\/strong> census, James <\/span>Snr.<\/span><\/span>, aged 21, was working as a brickmaker and living with his family on Chapel Road. Sarah, then 18, was living on Hadleigh High Street and listed as a \u201cgeneral servant out of employ.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On 22nd December <\/span>1886<\/span><\/strong>, James Snr. and Sarah were married at St James the Less, and the first son was born almost exactly one year later. By <\/span>1891<\/span><\/strong>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>the family was living on Hadleigh High Street, next door to Stibbard’s carpenter shop. By the <\/span>1901<\/span><\/strong> census, they had relocated to Myrtle Villa on Lynton Road, where they remained for many years. <\/span>At<\/span><\/span> that<\/span><\/span> time<\/span>, the road<\/span><\/span> was newly laid out<\/span> and<\/span><\/span> comprised<\/span><\/span> only a handful of dwellings. The name \u201cMyrtle\u201d held some unknown significance <\/span>for<\/span><\/span> the Allen family, as they also named their youngest son Myrtle in October 1901.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Ernest James Allen<\/strong> (1887-1953) – m.1909 to Emily Rose Hammerton<\/strong>; soldier & bricklayer<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Alfred John Allen<\/strong> (1889-1974) – unmarried; bricklayer<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Bertie William Allen<\/strong> (1892-1966) m.1919 to Matilda Louise Thorington<\/strong>, m.1946 to Amy Wallis Greenfield Worrell Taskere<\/strong>; bricklayer<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Sidney Charles Allen<\/strong> (1894-1918) – unmarried; carman & soldier
    \n<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. James Edward Allen<\/strong> (1896-1919) – unmarried; farm labourer, bricklayer & soldier
    \n<\/em><\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Percy Richard Allen<\/strong> (1899-1983) – m.1922 to Agnes Miriam Howard<\/strong>; bricklayer<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Myrtle Archibald Stanley Allen <\/strong>(1901-1966) – m.1923 to Annie Louise Evans<\/strong>, m.1931 to Beatrice Florence Byford<\/strong>; bricklayer<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Ernest<\/span><\/strong>, the eldest and nearly 6ft tall, enlisted in the <\/span>Royal Garrison Artillery<\/span><\/strong> on 21st August <\/span>1906<\/span><\/strong> at the age of 18. When the <\/span>1911<\/span><\/strong> census was taken, he was stationed at the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, serving as a Bombardier <\/span>in<\/span><\/span> the 35th Heavy Battery. Back home in Hadleigh, his brother Alfred (21) was working as a farm labourer, as were Sidney (17) and James (14). Bertie (19) was working as a bricklayer with their father, while the youngest brothers, Percy (12) and Archibald (9), were still at school.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Just before the outbreak of war, Ernest was promoted to <\/span>Corporal<\/span><\/strong> and landed in France with his battalion on 19th August <\/span>1914 <\/span><\/strong>(more details can be found below). James enlisted five days later.<\/span><\/p>\n

    James Edward Allen<\/span><\/strong> (1896-1919)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    On 26th August, 17-year-old <\/span>James<\/span><\/strong>, who was <\/span>5 ft 10 in<\/span><\/span> tall and <\/span>claimed<\/span><\/span> to be 19, enlisted as a <\/span>Private<\/span><\/strong> with the <\/span>Essex Regiment<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>9th Battalion <\/span><\/strong>at Southend.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    James spent the next nine months in training, moving early on from Warley Barracks in Brentwood to Shorncliffe in Kent. The Essex 9th moved again in March <\/span>1915<\/span><\/strong> to Blenheim Barracks, Aldershot, for final preparations before heading to France<\/span> in August<\/span><\/span>. On 17th April, James was appointed an unpaid <\/span>Lance Corporal<\/span><\/strong>. During his first four months of training, his brother Ernest <\/span>was<\/span><\/span> involved in an intense series of battles that transitioned from mobile combat to the static horror of trench warfare, returning to England injured on 22nd January.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On 30th May 1915, James and his battalion embarked from Folkestone and landed at Boulogne, a major port of entry for British troops heading into France. From there, they moved inland to join the British Expeditionary Force in the trenches <\/span>on<\/span><\/span> the Western Front. The 9th Essex was stationed near Loos, <\/span>where it endured<\/span><\/span> trench warfare and constant shellfire. <\/span>In<\/span><\/span> October, James sustained his first wound\u2014a gunshot to the left buttock\u2014while the battalion held positions near the Hulloch Quarries. He was evacuated to England via the hospital ship <\/span>Guppe<\/span><\/em> on 22nd October.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Meanwhile, as James recovered from his wounds, his older brother Sidney was already undertaking his own training for the front with the <\/span>Royal Garrison Artillery<\/span><\/strong> (more information can be found <\/span>in the following section<\/span><\/span>).<\/span><\/p>\n

    During his recuperation, James was attached to the <\/span>Essex Regiment 3rd Battalion<\/span><\/strong> based in Harwich. The 3rd Essex was a depot and training unit<\/span> that<\/span><\/span> supplied<\/span><\/span> reinforcements to the regiment’s battalions serving overseas. It also received soldiers who had returned from the front to recover from injuries or <\/span>illnesses<\/span><\/span>, <\/span>such as<\/span><\/span> James. He was promoted to a paid Lance Corporal on 29th November during his time there, and then <\/span>Acting Corporal<\/span><\/strong> on 26th February <\/span>1916<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On 18th March 1916, he returned to France, landing once again at Boulogne. By 28th April, he had rejoined the <\/span>9th Essex<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>which was<\/span><\/span> stationed near Loos. The battalion soon moved south to prepare for the <\/span>Battle of the Somme<\/span><\/strong>, one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the First World War.<\/span><\/p>\n

    By July, the 9th Essex was engaged in heavy fighting near Ovillers-la-Boisselle on the Somme battlefield in northern France. On 3rd July, James was shot in both thighs amid fierce fighting. He was soon taken to <\/span>No.2 Convalescent Camp<\/span><\/strong> in Rouen, part of the British Army\u2019s medical evacuation and recovery system, before returning home aboard the hospital ship <\/span>Oxfordshire<\/span><\/em> on 7th July.<\/span><\/p>\n

    James was admitted to the King George Hospital in London, where he spent 42 days recovering. X-rays showed no bone damage, and he was discharged to a 10-day furlough. On 7th August, he was posted back to the 3rd Essex, before being transferred to the Command Depot at Shoreham-by-Sea on 4th September, where he remained for 169 days<\/span>,<\/span><\/span> undergoing rehabilitation. His recovery included physical drills and light marching.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On 19<\/span>th February <\/span>1917<\/span><\/strong>, James was reposted back to the <\/span>3rd Essex<\/span><\/strong> and embarked once again for France on 12th March, landing at Boulogne. He was sent to Calais and joined the <\/span>3rd Entrenching Battalion<\/span><\/strong> on 5th April. These units were responsible for constructing and maintaining trenches, roads, and <\/span>defences<\/span><\/span> in rear areas, often serving as reinforcement pools for frontline battalions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On 5th May 1917, James joined the field with the <\/span>Essex Regiment 1st Battalion<\/span><\/strong>, which was then engaged near Monchy-le-Preux following the Battle of Arras. He was appointed <\/span>Acting Corporal<\/span><\/strong> on 10th August.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On 16th August, the 1st Essex was engaged in the <\/span>Battle of Langemarck<\/span><\/strong>, part of the broader <\/span>Third Battle of Ypres<\/span><\/strong> (also known as <\/span>Passchendaele<\/span><\/strong>) in West Flanders, Belgium. <\/span>During<\/span><\/span> this chaotic and brutal engagement<\/span>,<\/span><\/span> James was hit by shrapnel above the right knee, severely wounding him. He was evacuated to England for the third time on 20th August, aboard the hospital ship <\/span>St. David<\/span><\/em>, and admitted to Gloucester Hospital, where he remained for nearly six months.\u00a0He was then transferred to <\/span>the <\/span><\/span>Glen Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) in Southend for 10 weeks and Fort Pitt VAD in Chatham for a further 10 weeks. During his time at Chatham, the Allen family received the tragic news that his brother Sidney, age 24, had died of pneumonia at Parkhurst Military Hospital, Isle of Wight.<\/span><\/p>\n

    In June 1918, James was finally transferred to a Rest Hall VAD, where he remained for three months. Despite receiving care for several months, it became clear that he had sustained permanent damage to his peroneal nerve, resulting in a displaced foot with loss of <\/span>sensation<\/span><\/span>. The medical board assessed him as 50% disabled, and on 17th September 1918, James was officially discharged under King\u2019s Regulation 392 (xvi), deemed \u201cno longer physically fit for war service.\u201d He was awarded the <\/span>Victory Medal<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>British War Medal<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>1915 Star<\/span>,<\/span><\/span><\/strong> and <\/span>Silver War Badge<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    James returned to Myrtle Villa, the family home in Hadleigh. <\/span>Although<\/span><\/span> his body bore the scars of war, he was determined to contribute where he could, working alongside his father as a bricklayer. Whether he was able to carry bricks, mix mortar<\/span>,<\/span><\/span> or simply assist with lighter tasks is unclear. However, his health began to decline <\/span>in<\/span><\/span> the <\/span>following<\/span><\/span> months.<\/span><\/p>\n

    On 8th April <\/span>1919<\/span><\/strong>, 22-year-old James died of tuberculosis, likely exacerbated by his wartime injuries and <\/span>a <\/span><\/span>weakened immune system. He passed away at home with his father by his side. James was laid to rest in the churchyard of St James the Less with his brother, Sidney, and was the last soldier to die from the town.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sidney Charles Allen <\/span><\/strong>(1894-1918)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    Sidney was 21 years old when he enlisted in the <\/span>Royal Garrison Artillery<\/span><\/strong> in October <\/span>1915<\/span><\/strong>, a time of growing urgency on the home front. His decision came shortly before the Allen family received news of his older brother James\u2019s first <\/span>injury<\/span><\/span> in France.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    Initial training took place at East Ham, followed by a posting to Charlton Park, Woolwich, in March <\/span>1916<\/span><\/strong>. There, Sidney trained with heavy guns\u2014the massive artillery pieces that defined much of the war\u2019s destructive power. On 19th April, his unit moved to Larkhill on Salisbury Plain for live firing exercises, a final preparation before deployment. Ten days later, they travelled via Amesbury to Southampton<\/span> and<\/span><\/span> embarked<\/span><\/span> on<\/span><\/span> the Western Front.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sidney was promoted from <\/span>Private<\/span><\/strong> to <\/span>Gunner<\/span><\/strong> and later served as <\/span>Bombardier<\/span><\/strong> in the <\/span>141 Heavy Battery<\/span><\/strong>. Throughout <\/span>1917<\/span><\/strong>, this unit operated under various <\/span>Heavy Artillery Groups<\/span><\/strong>, providing long-range fire support for infantry operations. These batteries were often stationed miles behind the front lines, yet remained vulnerable to counter-battery fire and air raids. Life in the artillery was physically demanding and mentally exhausting\u2014long hours, deafening noise<\/span>,<\/span><\/span> and the constant strain of coordinating fire missions under pressure.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Records of Sidney\u2019s service are sparse, but two medical entries offer brief glimpses into his <\/span>experiences<\/span><\/span>. On 2nd September 1917, after seventeen months with the field force, he was evacuated from the sick convoy of <\/span>the <\/span><\/span>No.<\/span><\/strong> 7 Convalescent Camp<\/span><\/strong> in Boulogne to the <\/span>4th Stationary Hospital<\/span><\/strong> in Arques, suffering from <\/span>diarrhoea <\/span><\/span>\u2014a common affliction in the unsanitary conditions <\/span>at<\/span><\/span> the front. He was discharged back to duty just two days later, likely rejoining the 141 Heavy Battery near Ypres, where the <\/span>Third Battle of Ypres<\/span><\/strong> (Passchendaele) was still grinding on <\/span>under<\/span><\/span> appalling conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Six weeks later, on October 18th, Sidney was admitted to the\u00a0<\/span>2nd General Hospital<\/span><\/strong> in Le Havre for chronic otitis media, a painful and persistent inflammation of the middle ear, likely caused by a perforated eardrum. Such infections were not uncommon among artillerymen, as their constant exposure to the concussive blasts of heavy guns could rupture eardrums and damage delicate inner ear structures, a condition now known as noise-induced hearing loss. <\/span>During<\/span><\/span> that era, hearing protection was rare and ineffective, so gunners simply endured the debilitating noise. The medical community was also poorly equipped to deal with such conditions, and many doctors misdiagnosed noise-induced deafness, attributing it to malingering or psychological issues rather than physical trauma. Despite the lack of understanding, the severity of Sidney\u2019s condition necessitated his evacuation, and after 18 days of treatment, he was transferred to the hospital ship <\/span>Carisbrook Castle<\/span><\/em> and <\/span>returned<\/span><\/span> to England.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Following this, he was assigned to <\/span>the <\/span><\/span>“B” Battery<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0of the\u00a0<\/span>Anti-Aircraft Depot<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0at Parkhurst as an\u00a0<\/span>Acting Bombardier;<\/span><\/strong> however, no military records confirm the exact date of this transfer or his specific duties. The Parkhurst facility, located on the Isle of Wight, housed reserve brigades and served as a training pool for new recruits and soldiers returning from leave or injury before joining active batteries. Sidney likely assisted with training and would have almost certainly been promoted to a full <\/span>bombardier<\/span><\/span> had his health not deteriorated further in early 1918.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sidney was admitted to <\/span>Parkhurst Military Hospital<\/span><\/strong> on the Isle of Wight, where, on 25th April <\/span>1918<\/span><\/strong>, he died of pneumonia at the age of 24. His body was transported home and buried in <\/span>St. James the Less churchyard<\/span><\/span>. He was posthumously awarded the <\/span>Victory Medal<\/span><\/strong> and <\/span>the <\/span><\/span>British War Medal<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Their father, James Snr., died on 11th June <\/span>1928<\/span><\/strong>, at the age of 69, and their mother, Sarah, d<\/span>ied the following year, on 19th November <\/span>1929<\/span><\/strong>, aged 67. They were both buried in the churchyard of St James the Less<\/span>\u2014<\/span><\/em>alongside their sons Sidney and James.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Sidney and James were not commemorated with individual military headstones, but instead honoured together on a family gravestone.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n
    \n

    In Ever Loving Memory
    \nof
    \n<\/span><\/em>Bomdr. Sidney Charles Allen<\/strong>,
    \nWho Died 24th April 1918
    \nIn Carisbrook Military Hospital I. of Wight.
    \nAged 24 Years.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    Also Corpl. James Edward Allen<\/strong>,
    \nWho Died 8th April 1919
    \nAged 22 Years.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    The Dearly Beloved Sons Of
    \nJames and Sarah Allen<\/strong>.
    \nHave Mercy Lord On Them
    \nAnd Let Perpetual Light Shine Upon Them.
    \n“May They Rest In Peace.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

    Also Alfred John Allen<\/strong>,
    \nWho Died 16th Sept 1974
    \nAged 85 Years.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

    		\r\n\t\t