Lance Bombardier Sidney Walter LAW

Lance Bombardier Sidney Walter LAW

Sidney Law was born on 23rd December 1891 in Kemsing, Kent. His full name was Sidney Walter Law, although in some documents his middle name is misspelt as ‘Walker’. He was the fourth child (of six children) of Frederick and Esther Law. Frederick Law was a rural postman. When Sidney left school, probably at the age of 13 or 14, he trained as a pork butcher, which meant he specialised in rearing pigs and selling pork and pork products such as gammon and bacon. In July 1914, during the reign of King George V, Sidney enlisted to serve in The Great War, later to be known as The First World War or World War 1. He joined the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Lance Bombardier. At the age of 22, Sidney left England for France from Folkestone Harbour in Kent, along with hundreds of thousands of other young men - some as young as 13 or 14 who had lied about their age in order to “serve King and Country” and many of whom never returned. He fought in The Great War for four years. On 21st March, 1918, when he was taking part in the March Retreat from the Somme, he was killed in action – just eight months before the war ended on 11th November, 1918. He was 26 years old. Sidney was not married and had no children. His mother, Esther, never recovered from the death of her son and spent the rest of her life grieving. Sidney was posthumously awarded the Allied Victory Medal and the British War Medal, 1914-1918. The Great War Memorial Plaque and its accompanying Memorial Scroll and letter from King George V were presented to his next-of-kin, his mother Esther. Sidney is commemorated at the First World War Arras Memorial in France and also at the Memorial Gardens in Crawley town in Sussex.

Created by: , Patricia71742

  • Profile picture for Sidney Walter Law

    Born 1891

    Died 1918

    British Army 353862 Gunner Royal Garrison Artillery

    British Army 353862 Lance Bombardier Royal Garrison Artillery 154th Heavy Battery