Sydney James Dobson (1897-1918)
From Burnhope, served with the East Yorkshire Regiment, killed in action 1918
Sydney was born in October or November 1897 in Burnhope, the son of John George and Florence Dobson.
He lived at 11 Pavilion Terrace, Burnhope, and worked as a bankhand at Burnhope colliery.
He enlisted at Annfield Plain on 24 February 1916 and was called up from the Army Reserve to be posted to the East Yorkshire Regiment on 16 May 1917. He served as 35128 Private Sydney Dobson in the 11th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, embarking with the British Expeditionary Force on 20 August 1917. You can find Sydney’s army service records online on the Ancestry (subscription) website.
Sydney was killed in action in Flanders, France on 28 July 1918. Despite his death, his name is still recorded on the absent voters’ list of October 1918.
He was awarded the Victory medal and British war medal. A memorial death plaque was sent to his next of kin.
Sydney is remembered at Les Grand Hasard military cemetery, Morbecque, France, and at Burnhope memorial garden.
In 2008 Lynn Huggins-Cooper (author) and Ian P. Benfold Haywood (illustrator) published a book entitled ‘One Boy’s War’ and dedicated it to Sydney and her father Dave Huggins. The dedication reads;
For Sydney Dobson, sent from Burnhope in County Durham to fight and die on the fields of Belgium. And for my dad, Dave Huggins, sent off to the Middle East to do his military service. Unlike Sydney, dad came home. – L.H.C. For all young men like Sydney – I.B.H.
For more information
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/68565/dobson,-sydney-james/
North East War Memorials Project
http://www.newmp.org.uk/detail.php?contentId=6480
Civil Parish: Lanchester
Birth date: 1897
Death date: 28-Jul-1918
Armed force/civilian: Army
Residence: 11 Pavilion Terrace (1918 absent voters’ list)
Employment: Bankhand, Burnhope colliery (1911 census and roll of honour)
Group 31 railway worker (Army service record)
Family: Father: John George Dobson, age 43, born Easington (1911 census)
Mother: Florence Dobson, age 38, born Devonshire (1911 census)
Sister: Alice E Dobson, age 18, born Burnhope (1911 census)
Brother: George W Dobson, age 16, born Burnhope (1911 census)
Brother: Ernest Dobson, age 7, born Burnhope (1911 census)
Sister: Rhoda, age 3, born Burnhope (1911 census)
Brother: John T Dobson, age 10 months, born Burnhope (1911 census)
Military service:
East Yorkshire Regiment, 11 Battalion (2nd Hull), 35128
Memorial(s): Les Grand Hasard military cemetery, Morbecque, France
Burnhope memorial garden
U.A Ritson roll of honour
Electoral Register:
Register No: 402
Forename: Sydney James
Surname: Dobson
Parliamentary Division: Barnard Castle
Polling District: B - Burnhope
Parish: Lanchester
Date: October-1918
Reference: October-1918
Gender: Male
Contributed by Burnhope War Memorial Research Group | With additional research by Durham County Record Office
