Sidney G Archer 1898 – 1916 Sidney Gordon Archer was born on 21 September 1898 in Tring, Hertfordshire, to parents Alice Jane Turney and Albert John Archer. He was one of six children. His siblings being Lionel 1895, Percy 1896, Stanley 1897, Doris 1900 and Ada, known as Ivy in 1903. The 1901 census shows Sidney living at 263 Brook Rd, Sawbridgeworth with father Albert 30 a tailor, mother Alice 34 with children Lionel 5, Percy 4, Stanley 3, Sidney 2, and Doris 1 year of age. On 1 July 1905 his mother, Alice, died. On 3 October 1905 his father married Rebecca Holgate. During their 47 years of marriage they had a further eight children – Albert John, Beatrice Winifred, John Miller Thiroun, Winifred, Gilbert Victor, Frederick Richard, Alfred, and Enid Emily Mavis Archer. The 1911 census shows Sidney living in Sawbridgeworth with Albert 39 a tailor, Rebecca 37 with children Lionel 16 and Percy 15 working as butcher boys, Stanley 14, Sidney 13, Doris 11, Ivy 8, Albert 5, John 3, Flora 1, and George under 6 months of age, with those old enough going to school. Stepchildren were Robert Halliday 14, and Florence Halliday 11, both scholars. Rebecca had a relationship with a Robert Halliday prior to meeting Albert. With the start of WW1 Sidney was keen to join the military. It was been said that he joined under age, but before this could be rectified he was killed in action. His army records didn’t survive the London bombings other than a medal index card that lists the Victory, Star and British Medals. Sadly he was killed in action on 17 February 1916 age 17, as part of the Commonwealth War Dead and buried in Cambrin Military Cemetery, Nord –Pas-de-Calais, France. Sidney had been a private in The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, 1st battalion, Service No: 4974. His service to his Country was honoured by his name being placed on the Sawbridgeworth War Memorial in Hertfordshire along with his brothers Stanley John Archer and Arthur H E Holgate. The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, 1st battalion paid a high price for its commitment in the First World War. The 1st Battalion fought at Mons, on the Marne and the Aisne, Ypes, the Aubers Ridge, Loos on the Somme, Festubert, The Hindenburg Line, Bellecourt, Brookseinde, Passchendaele and Arras. When it came out of the line in November 1918 only seventeen men were left out of all ranks who had gone to France in 1914.
Karen Nunn Nee Archer