Pte 24580 Sydney Herbert Hughes

• Age: 28
• From: Seacombe, Cheshire
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Saturday 1st July 1916
• Commemorated at: Danzig Alley Cem, Mametz
  Panel Ref: Vernon St Mem.4

24580 Private Sidney Herbert HUGHES, 18^th Battalion KLR.

Sydney Herbert Hughes was born about the year 1888 in Seacombe, Cheshire. He was the youngest son of Frederick and Susannah(nee Dickman) Hughes who were married on the 13th July 1877 at St Bridget, Wavertree. Frederick was a 27 year old merchant of Wavertree, father Henry William, whilst Susannah was aged 19 also of Wavertree, father Marshall.   

Birth records and the family grave show that his name was Sydney Herbert Hughes. 

The 1891 Census the family are living at 1 Shaftsbury Cottages, Seacombe.

His father, Frederick is a 39 year old railway goods clerk born in Todmorden, Yorkshire, whilst his mother Susannah is 31 years of age and was born in Liverpool, children Mary 12 b.Liverpool, Sarah 10 b.Liverpool, Frederick 7 a scholar b.Seacombe, William 5 b.Seacombe, Sydney is aged 3, and Amelia is 1 b.Seacombe.  

The 1901 Census shows Sydney as a 13 year old scholar living with his parents and eight siblings at 1 Shaftsbury Cottages, Seacombe.

His father, Frederick is a 49 year old railway fireman born in Todmorden, whilst his mother Susannah is 41 years of age and was born in Liverpool.  His siblings are listed as; Jessie a 20 year old assistant in a florist shop, Frederick an 18 year old grocer's messenger, William is 15 years of age and is also a grocer's messenger, Amelia is 11, Winifred is 9, Constance is 7, Ella is 5 and Doris is 3.

By 1911 the family have moved to 29 Wheatland Lane, Seacombe.

Sydney is a 23 year old mill hand in a flour mill. He lives with his parents, Frederick, a 61 year old railway goods checker, and Susannah aged 51 who advise that they have been married for 33 years and have had twelve children of whom eleven have survived. Those siblings recorded as living in the family home are;  Frederick Marshall a 27 year old mill hand, Henry William who is 25 and also a mill hand, Amelia now 21 is an iron monger's shop assistant, Winifred is 19, Clare Constance is 16, Ella Madelane is 15 and an apprentice dressmaker, Doris is 12 at school, and Edith 9 at school.  

Sydney was educated at Somerville Boys School, Birkenhead, subsequently taking up a position as a mill hand with Messrs. W. Vernon & Sons flour millers of Seacombe. 

Sydney enlisted in Liverpool on 04th January 1915 joining the 18th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment as Private 24580.

He was billeted in the hutted accommodation at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 18th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He sailed for France with his Battalion on board the SS Invicta, arriving on 07th November 1915.

He was killed in action on the 01^st July 1916 during the attack at Montauban.

18^th Battalion Diary

At 6.30am the artillery commenced an intensive bombardment of the enemy’s trenches. Zero Hour – 7.30 am – the battalion commenced to leave their trenches and the attack commenced. The attack was pressed with great spirit and determination in spite of heavy shelling and machine gun enfilade fire which caused casualties amounting to 2/3rds of the strength of the Battalion in action. The whole system of German trenches including the Glatz Redoubt was captured without any deviation from the scheduled programme. Consolidated positions and made strong points for defence against possible counter attacks.

Graham Maddocks provides more detail concerning the events of the day:

As the first three waves began to move forward towards the German reserve line, known as Alt Trench and then on to the Glatz Redoubt itself, they suddenly came under enfilading fire from the left. This was from a machine gun which the Germans had sited at a strong point in Alt Trench. The gun itself was protected by a party of snipers and bombers, who, hidden in a rough hedge, were dug into a position in Alt Trench, at its junction with a communication trench known as Alt Alley. These bombers and snipers were themselves protected by rifle fire from another communication trench, Train Alley which snaked back up the high ground and into Montauban itself. The machine gun fire was devastating and it is certain that nearly of the Battalion’s casualties that day were caused by that one gun.  

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Henry Trotter  wrote in the conclusion of his account of the days action:

I cannot speak to highly of the gallantry of the Officers and men. The men amply repaid the care and kindness of their Company Officers, who have always tried to lead and not to drive. As laid down in my first lecture to the Battalion when formed, in the words of Prince Kraft:

“Men follow their Officers not from fear, but from love of the Regiment where everything had always and at all times gone well with them”.    

Joe Devereux in his book A Singular Day on the Somme gives the Casualty Breakdown for the 18^th Battalion as Killed in Action 7 Officers and 165 men and of those who died in consequence of the wounds 3 Officers and 19 men a total of 194 out of a total loss for the four Liverpool Pals Battalions of 257.