WORLD WAR I
Bingham War Memorial
Service Record
| 306752 | Corporal Sydney Harold Fewster | Age 20 “A” company, 2nd/8th Bn Sherwood Foresters (Notts & Derby Regiment) |
Born 1896 |
| Killed in action on 26/09/1917 |
No known grave Commemorated on Tyne Cot Memorial |
Panel 99 to 102 and 162 to 162A. | |
| Grantham Journal | On November 17th 1917 the Journal reported Sydney as wounded. | ||
| War Diary | The war diary has a very short entry for 26th September, merely
saying the battalion formed up and attacked. The reader is referred to an
appendix. Compared to some this is also quite short (compare with the report
of the 2nd/7th for the same battle. The battalion casualties were: Officers
killed 2, wounded 11, other ranks killed 43, wounded 239, died of wounds
7, missing 39. Gassed 2 officers and 69 other ranks. The situation is summarised later in the war diary for the 27th September. |
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| from “Before Endeavours Fade” by Rose Coombs MBE | Sydney was killed in the battle for St.Julien - half way between
Ypres and Passchendaele. The attack was on a broad front and included the
area covered by the 2/7th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters in which his 2nd
cousin private Russell Cambell Wright was
serving and was killed on the same day. Conditions were atrocious. A series of thunderstorms had left the ground like a quagmire. It was impossible to have trenches because they were liable to be flooded. Contrarily, the battle report does mention trenches; perhaps the weather closed in later. The Sherwood Foresters had to fight from pill box to pill box. There was no element of surprise. The battle commenced on September 26th and finished on night of the 28th. Sydney was killed on the opening day |
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| “The Sherwood Foresters in the Great War 1914 – 1918 The 2/8th Battalion by Lieut. Colonel W C Oates DSO” – published in 1920 | Background The intention of the Allied Forces was to commence the forward movement in Flanders as soon as the country had dried out in the Spring of 1917. In deference to the French, operations were postponed in order to assist the French attack in the Champagne region The French offensive was a failure – thus the Allied offensive did not commence until July 31st. – much too late in the year for an operation of this magnitude. The aim for the Allies was to free Flanders from the enemy and a key to this aim was to capture Passchendaele. Surprise was not an option as the enemy held the higher ground. The conditions on the ground were totally unsuitable for tanks. The only way forward was by a creeping barrage and this was employed over the next 3 months. The series of battles which followed each other in rapid succession leading up to the capture of Passchendaele in November are known collectively as the Third Battle of Ypres. The 2/8th Sherwood Foresters fought in the Battle of St. Julien which commenced early the morning of 26th September to the night of September 28th when St. Julien was captured. “A” Company, Fewster’s company, was tasked with mopping up and rendering any support to the attacking companies. It was during the 1st day of the Battle of St Julien that Sydney Fewster was killed. |
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| CWGC | Son of Edward and Emma Fewster, of The Post Office, Bingham,
Nottingham. Sorting Clerk and Telegraphist. |
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| Register of Effects |
On 25th September 1919 Sydney’s back pay of £11.17s.3d. was paid to his father, Edward. | On 3rd November 1919 a war gratuity of £8.0.0. was sent to Edward. | |
Note – no service record documents on Ancestry. Medal card copied.
Left: Young Sydney Middle: Corporal Sydney Right: The Post Office, Market Place
Images by kind permission of Roma Berridge
Family history etc
| 306752 | Corporal Sydney Harold Fewster | ||
| 1896 | Born Bingham | ||
| Census 1881 | Edward living in 9 Chapel St Bilton, Harrogate with: Wife: Emma Son: James W b 1880 Harrogate |
Grocer and Confectioner |  Edward’s mother, by kind permission of Roma Berridge |
Census 1891 |
Mother: Emma: b 1855 Living in Market Place Bingham with: Siblings: James W Herbert A, b 1882, Harrogate Edward E, b 1885, Nottingham Edgar L, b 1888, Bradford Charlotte A, b 1891, Bradford |
No occupation given  Emma, by kind permission of Roma Berridge |
Father: Edward was not present. Can’t find on census. Could be boarder with a widow in Bradford, 1911, furniture salesman. |
| Census 1901 | Living at The Post Office in the Market Place, Bingham, a seven room
house, with: Father: Edward Fewster, b 1854 Bradford, Yorks Mother: Emma Fewster Siblings: Herbert A Edward E Edgar Lonsdale Charlotte Also: Agnes A Attenborough, age 28, (Emma’s sister) |
Sub Postmaster neé Attenborough of Market Place, Bingham, hairdressers, aunt of George Attenborough Postmaster’s Assistant and letter carrier Telegraphist Machinist for Blouses |
James m Alice in 1910,
living Lady Bay, West Bridgford, accounts clerk, returned to Bingham 1916-7.
Served with Army Pay Corps and Sherwood Foresters Edgar served in PPC Light Infantry |
| Census 1911 |
Living in a seven room house in the Market Place, Bingham, with: Father: Edward Mother: Emma Siblings: Edward Ernest Charlotte Annie |
Working as Postal Clerk Sub Postmaster Railway Clerk |
Edward served with Machine Gun Corps |