Sutcliffe, Sydney Mark

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Sydney Mark Sutcliffe MM

Second Lieutenant, Royal Welsh Fusiliers attached No 11 Sqn Royal Flying Corps
Killed in action, 2 October 1917, aged 24
Buried at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez, France

CWGC registered (Son of Arthur and Rhoda Sutcliffe, of The Nook, 26, Roumania Crescent, Llandudno, Carnarvonshire. Born at Bradford [sic, see note below], Yorks)

PEACE PERFECT PEACE

Sydney Mark Sutcliffe was the son of an entertainer, Abraham Sutcliffe and his wife Rhoda Polly Sutcliffe (née Tomlinson). Abraham Sutcliffe was known professionally as Arthur Sutcliffe. Sydney was born in Selby, Yorkshire in the spring of 1893 and was baptised at Selby on the 21st day of May of that year. About two years later, the family moved to Bradford and the 1901 Census records the family living at 29 Copthorne Road, Bradford. Local papers from 1906 onwards report on Mr Arthur Sutcliffe and his company of Pierotts appearing at Llandudno’s Pierhead Pavilion. In the census record of 1911, the Sutcliffe family was recorded as residing at 63 Horton Grange Road, Bradford though a specific record for Sydney has not been found. The family was later recorded as living at “The Nook”, 26 Roumania Crescent, Llandudno.

In September 1914, Sydney joined the Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Wrexham. He was posted to the 10th (Service) Battalion that was forming at the time with a service number of 15551. The 10th RWF was part of K3, Kitchener’s third new army. By June 1915, the battalion was at Aldershot and it landed at Boulogne on 27 September 1915. Sydney’s medal roll index card reveals that at the time of his disembarkation, he had been promoted to lance corporal. On 11 October 1916, the now Sergeant Sydney Sutcliffe was awarded the Military Medal for gallantry shown during a poison gas attack at Wulverghem on 30 April 1916. He was discharged from the ranks on 6 November 1916 and received a commission into, according to the medal roll, the 19th (Service) Battalion RWF. Whether or not Sydney served as an officer in the RWF is unknown as he was attached to the Royal Flying Corps, serving with No 11 Sqn.

Sydney Sutcliffe was killed in action aged 24 on 2 October 1917. He was an observer/gunner on a Bristol Fighter piloted by Lieutenant Justin McKenna. They took off from an airfield near Arras on a patrol over enemy territory and were shot down near Cambrai. They were buried by the Germans with full military honours including German crosses at the Bouchain Communal Cemetery German Extension. Their bodies were reinterred in 1920 at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez.

Known memorials:

  • Llandudno Roll of Honour
  • Llandudno War Memorial
  • Memorial Chapel, Holy Trinity Church, Llandudno
  • St. Paul’s Church, Craig-y-Don

Note:

The Commonwealth War Grave Commission records note that Sydney Sutcliffe was born at Bradford. This appears to be incorrect. Another Sydney Sutcliffe (without the Mark) was born in Bradford in 1893 but birth and baptismal records confirm that the Sydney Sutcliffe remembered in Llandudno was Sydney Mark Sutcliffe, born at Selby.

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