Sydney Jameson (1890-1916)
Sunderland man served as a private in the Canadian Army and was killed near "Plugstreet"
Sydney was one of the four children born to Castle Eden-born marine engineer John Thomas Jameson and his wife, Christiana Jameson from Hartlepool. Harold, the oldest child, had been born in Hartlepool, but the rest of the family were born in Sunderland. At the time of the 1891 census Christiana was visiting her sister in Swansea, Wales, leaving six-month-old Sydney in the care of John Thomas, his mother and two servants in Azalea Terrace. By 1901 she was a widow living on her own means with the four children and a servant in The Grove, Sunderland. John, Sydney’s older brother, arrived in Canada in 1911, making for Saskatchewan and a life as a farm labourer. Once there he applied for a Homestead Grant and Sydney followed him also applying for a Homestead Grant in the Redfield area of Saskatchewan.
Two days after John, Sydney enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) at Valcartier Camp, Quebec. Both gave their mother in Sunderland as their next of kin and their occupations as homesteaders and mentioned the three years they had each spent in the Royal Garrison Artillery. Sydney, the taller of the two by just under an inch, became Private 21486 of the 11th Battalion which embarked for England at the beginning of October 1914. Based at Shorncliffe, Kent, on 3 May 1915, Private 21486 was transferred to the 8th Battalion and joined them in billets near Bailleul, France.
On 28 December 1915 the battalion relieved the 5th in the trenches, where enemy snipers were very active by day and night. On the afternoon of 3 January 1916 at about 3pm “whilst in the trenches near Ploegsteert Private Jameson came out of his dugout and partly exposed himself by stepping up onto a trench mat at a rather low point behind the front parapet. He was hit by a rifle bullet and killed instantly”. The funeral of Private 21486 and another soldier were held the following day, attended by the Brigadier General.
Originally buried at Chateau Rosenburg, the body of Sydney Jameson was exhumed and reburied at Berks Cemetery Extension, Ploegsteert, Belgium.
Private Sydney Jameson is remembered on the Saskatchewan Virtual Memorial, on Christ Church Roll of Honour, Sunderland (now housed in the Minster) and on a family memorial in Grangetown Cemetery, Sunderland.
Civil Parish: Sunderland
Birth date: 03-Nov-1890
Death date: 03-Jan-1916
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: 25 Azalea Terrace, Sunderland (1891 census)
3 The Grove, Sunderland (1901 census)
Redfield, Saskatchewan, Canada (homestead records)
Religion: Church of England
Employment: Farmer (1914 enlistment papers)
Family: Parents: John Thomas Jameson, Christiana Jameson
Siblings: Harold Jameson, John Jameson, Christine Jameson
Military service:
Royal Garrison Artillery (pre-war)
21486
Private
11th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
8th Battalion Canadian Expeditionary Force
Medal(s): 1914/15 Star
Victory Medal
British War Medal
Memorial(s): Berks Cemetery Extension, Ploegsteert, Belgium
Christ Church Roll of Honour, Sunderland
Family Memorial,Grangetown Cemetery, Sunderland
Saskatchewan Virtual Memorial
Gender: Male
Contributed by Jean Longstaff, Durham