SYDNEY DAWSON

RANK: Lieutenant.

REGIMENT: 8th Bn York and Lancaster Regiment.

BORN:

ENLISTED:

GAVE HIS LIFE: 01/07/1916

AGED: 22.

CEMETERY: Blighty Valley Cemetery, Authuile Wood North of Albert.

GRAVE: V. C. 36.

Sydney was the son of John William who was employed as a brush manufacturer Born Huddersfield 1860 and Annie Maria Born Leeds 1860 who married at Leeds in 1883.

Sydney had three brothers Edger, Harold, Frederick William and a sister Selina.

Sydney was brought up around the Woodhouse and Hyde Park areas of Leeds, leaving school to become an articled pupil with a chartered accountants.

Sydney won the Fletcher Memorial prize in 1913 for being first place in the Intermediate Examination of the institute of Chartered Accountants.

In August 1914 Sydney joined the Leeds University Officer Training Corps and in October of that year he was granted a commision in the Yorks and Lancaster Regiment.

In the June of 1915 he was promoted to Lieutenant, and in the January of 1916 he became the battalions Adjutant writing the Battalions diary.

Sydney lost his life leading other brave Yorkshire Boys over the top at La Boisselle Near Albert Somme, it was reported at the time that is last words were,

"We will carry on a bit longer"

John Dawson the great nephew of Sydneys, has provided the following information.

" A sad aspect of Sydney's death was his mother passed away from shock a few days after the news reached home, and the family never really talked about him - well not to my dad".

The CWGC shows the following details.


"Son of John William and Annie M. Dawson, of 189, Hyde Park Rd., Leeds."