WORLD WAR I
Bingham War Memorial
Service Record
| 1207 [SNH] 281982 [19H] |
2nd Lieutenant Siegmund Nilles Gross | South Notts Hussars (Pte) 19th Hussars (2/Lt) |
born 1894 |
| Medal Card | Awarded Victory, British and 15 Star medals. Served in Egypt from 26/4/15 Address: Chesterfield Arms, Bingham. |
No service/pension records exist on Ancestry. BHTA transcription of un-digitised Officer records at National Archives | |
| Roll of Honour | Served in Egypt, Salonika and on the Western Front. 19th Royal Hussars | ||
| Officer Records at National Archives | Prior to being commissioned, he had: Attested 15/9/14, joining the 1/1 South Notts Hussars (Res) regimental no. 1207 On enlistment at age 20 years 3 months he was 5’t 4¾”, 131lbs chest 36”, expansion 3”. Physical development good; 6/6 vision Next of kin: Aunt Elizabeth Nilles, Chesterfield Arms, Bingham Home Service 15/9/14 to 11/4/15 Mediterranean Expeditionary Force 12/4/15 to 10/10/16: 10/4/15 embarked at Avonmouth; 26/4/15 disembarked at Alexandria 10/10/15 embarked for Salonika 26/12/15 transferred to Army HQ Salonika He was then transferred to 3/1 Reserve Regiment Hussars from 30/12/16 regimental no. 281982 24/7/16 admitted to 28th General Hospital, Salonika with malaria 30/7/16 transferred to H.S. Gascon (hospital ship) 3/8/16 admitted to Military Hospital Tigne, Malta 30/9/16 invalided to England on HMHS Herefordshire 11/10/16 to 10/11/16: 31 days with dysentery at the 1st Southern General Hospital RAMC (T), Kings Heath Section, Birmingham – 3 tests for Defecta (?), all negative. Transferred to Dysentery Depot, Barton on Sea. 10/11/16 to 20/12/16: 41 days at New Milton in convalescence from dysentery. Test negative, discharged on furlough. 12/3/17 to 12/4/17: Connaught Hospital, Surrey, malaria (tertiary?) contracted in Salonika Jun/Jul 1916. Treatment strychnine, arsenic, quinine. 22/5/17 to 19/6/17: Connaught Hospital, 7 with malaria. 10/9/17: Transferred from Regular Hussars to Territorial Force. 29/9/17: entered 2nd Cavalry Officer Cadet School as a private and on 6th April 1918 Siegmund was Commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd Reserve Regiment, Hussars. 5/4/18 Discharged on appointment to temp commission as 2/Lt at Aldershot. He remained on Home Service until 5/4/19 discharged from army. Last unit noted as 19th Hussars. He was to re-join at Scarborough in event of an emergency. Dispersed from Harrowby Camp, Grantham |
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| Application for Commission | Statement by Sigmund on applying for a temp commission: DOB 28/5/1894 Nottingham. Not married. Pure European descent. British by birth. Father German, hotel proprietor, “naturalised before I was born. Cannot give exact date as both my parents have long been dead” Address: Church St. Bingham Education: Attended Southwell Grammar and Nottingham High School Occupation: Lace trade (learning) Able to ride Service Record: Egypt Apr-Oct 1915; Salonika Oct 1915 to Sept 1916; Invalided home with malaria References: 12/3/17: “There is one thing which I think needs some explanation. Gross’s father was a German but naturalised before Gross was born. Nottingham with its lace market was a great German centre 30 years ago. Like so many other Germans, Gross senior married an Englishwoman & became naturalised. Gross died 1901, wife 1905. Pte Gross who was an only child was thereupon adopted by his mother’s sister who had no children of her own. His maternal grandfather was a considerable tenant with the Duke of Newcastle & his maternal uncles still farm on the same estate. So all his upbringing has been thoroughly British. His social position is practically that of the son of a large tenant farmer. I have a high opinion of this boy. I feel sure that after he has been through his training he’ll make a very efficient & conscientious officer. He has a high sense of honour & a great sense of duty.” Signed HRM Hutt, Rector of Bingham. “candidate attained standard of education suitable for commissioned rank”, signed G S Turpin, Headmaster of Nottingham High School Confidential Report on application for temp commission Officer Cadet 41437 Letter from a captain, for the Commander of 1st Reserve Cavalry Brigade, to War Office 21/5/17 referring to Hutt’s letter & recommending Gross for temporary commission: Final paragraph says “this candidate is under 35 yrs of age, has attained a good std of education ie legible handwriting & good spelling, and is physically active and smart in appearance” Note by 28/7/17 he was A1 fit, 5ft 6 ins, 10 stone and chest 36 – 38 ins 29/7/17 Accepted at Cadet School, Kildare Std of education - V Good Military knowledge - Good Power of Command & leadership - fairly good Remarks regarding application to MI 5 23/8/17 “Accepted for Cavalry subject to question of alien enemy origin” “spoke well” “candidate with German blood” - Major S H Wilson “Desirous of being in the M G Corps Heavy Branch”, at Salonika – 1 month Temp commission granted w.e.f. 6/4/18. Joined 3rd Reserve Cavalry 23/4/18. Notice appeared in London Gazette 29/4/18 |
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Family history etc
| Siegmund Nilles Gross | |||
| 1894 JUN FREEBMD | Born Nottingham. 28th May (from father’s naturalisation document) | ||
| Siegmund Gross (snr) was a naturalised British citizen (17/9/1894),
at that time residing at the Old Angel Inn, Stoney St. Nottingham. He was born in Emmerndingen, Baden. [nowadays twinned with Newark, Notts] He was a hotel proprietor. |
When he died in 1902 he was the proprietor of the Eight Bells in St. Peter’s Gate in Nottingham & left effects of £6851 to his widow & brother in law, Peter | Family information from naturalisation papers. | |
| 1891 Census | Pierre Nilles was a hotel keeper of the Reindeer in Wheelergate, Nottingham
(1891 census). The assistant hotel keepers were Siegmund & Eleanor
Gross who were Siegmund Nilles Gross’ parents. When Siegmund died in 1902 he was the proprietor of the Eight Bells in Petergate, Nottingham & left effects of £6851 to his widow & brother-in-law, Peter. Eleanor in 1905, aged 49 |
From The Nottingham Drinker, 29th January 2014: In days gone by, Nottingham had an Eight Bells (St Peter’s Gate / Peck Lane). This was named for the bells of St Peter’s Church just across the street. Prior to 1672, the church probably had six bells, which were augmented to eight during that year. These were replaced by a new set of eight in 1771 and then increased to twelve in 1965 and thirteen in 1994. Sadly, the Eight Bells closed in the early 1960s but not before it had a moment of Hollywood stardom, when it featured in the film of Alan Sillitoe’s novel “Saturday Night and Sunday Morning” (1960) starring Albert Finney. |
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| Census 1901 | Siegmund was a visitor to Farndon in the household of Richard Kirk, b. 1819 farmer, and his wife, Sarah, b. 1833 and their family | ||
| Census 1911 |
Lived at The Chesterfield Arms, Bingham with: Uncle: Peter Nilles, b. 1862 in Luxembourg, Aunt: Elizabeth, b. 1863 in Notts Their niece: Dorothea Eliza Kirk, b, 1891. AND Edith Ann Garner, b. 1890 Nottinghamshire Ernest David Johnson, b. 1887 Staffordshire Mary Ann Maltby, b. 1889 Lincolnshire |
Warehouseman in Lace manufacture hotel proprietor kitchen maid Boots housemaid |
Ernest was Killed in Action in WW1. |
| AVL | Siegmund Willes (sic), Chesterfield Arms Hotel, Church St. | ||
| 1922 | Medal Roll has address of Chesterfield Arms for 19/4/1922 | ||
| Electoral Register | 1923-4 at Chesterfield Arms 1926 Porchester Terrace 1930 Mill Hill |
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| 1927 | Peter Nilles of Eastgrove House, Bingham died 16 December
1927. Probate to Siegmund Nilles Gross, hairdresser; Effects £3736 15s. 6d |
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| 1937 | Trades Directory has him as private resident, Tythby Road. | ||
| 1939 Register | The Nursery Cottage, Foss Road, Car Colston, Bingham Siegmund N Gross, b. 28 May 1894, single David Boddy, b. 20 Mar 1894, single |
Master nursery man Farmer, assisting The rest of the Boddy family at adjacent Hall Farm |
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| WW2 | Locally there is a memory but no record of him being interned as an alien during the War. | ||
| 1972 | MAR FREEBMD Died in Bingham district | ||
