Rifleman Sidney Charles Bowdery

Sidney was born in Mitcham in 1897 and baptised on 14 February that year, the second son of James William Bowdery (1867-1950) and Clara nee Downes (1871-1939). Sidney had an elder brother who was shown as John on the 1901 census but his older sibling was Edward in 1911. His other siblings were Ivy, Frederick and Augustus plus, sadly, 4 more children who all died young.
Sidney grew up in Sibthorne Road, Mitcham where they lived at number 16, a 4 roomed house which they also shared with Xenophon Wilkes, a gas fitter who boarded with them. By the 1911 census, Sidney had left school and was an errand boy.
Sidney joined the 21st Battalion of the London Regiment, 1st Surrey Rifles.
On 7 October 1916 the attack on the Butte de Warlencourt took place. The Butte is an ancient burial mound about 60ft high. Not of any particular strategic importance itself, although it was a good observation point, it was a major feature of the German Gallivant Rigel (Gird Trenches) system. Anticipating an attack, the Germans had dug a new trench across the British front over the high ground north of Eaucourt l'Abbaye, westward into the valley. This trench, named Diagonal Trench, was the first objective of the attack on the 7th. A second attack took place on 8 October starting at 21.00hours with the 21st London Regiment attacking after a minute’s intense bombardment. The advance began well with 21st London Regiment advancing to within 200 yards of Diagonal Trench but they were then hit by a hail of machine-gun fire.
After the battle, Sidney was reported wounded and missing but a formal report of his death in action was made on 30 July 1917. His body is buried in Warlencourt British Cemetery V111 D9