Sidney Jack Theobald was born in 1895 in Clapham, London, the younger child of James Theobald (1862-1929) and Charlotte Grace Theobald née Fisher (1865-1956). His birth was registered in the 4th quarter of 1895 in the Wandsworth Registration District, London. On 1 December 1895 he was baptised in St Paul's Church, Clapham, where in the baptismal register his family are shown to be living at 26 Milford Street, Clapham and that his father was a brewer's labourer.
He was shown as aged 15 years and a telegraph messenger on the census return form completed by his father on 2 April 1911. He was living in three rooms within 26 Milford Street, Clapham, with his parents and his brother Harry George Theobald (1891-1948) - a prism maker for field glasses. His father described himself as a brewer's foreman (bottling department).
In February 1912 he was appointed as an assistant postman in the London Postal Service and in October 1915 he was promoted to the grade of postman in West London.
Army records show that he served in both the Surrey Yeomanry, service number 2928, and as a Private in the 11th Battalion, The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, service number G/40069, before transferring to their 6th Battalion and finally their 2nd Battalion.
He was killed in action, aged 22 years, on 22 October 1917 and as he has no known grave he is commemorated on , Tynecotstraat 24, 8980 Zonnebeke, Belgium. On 22 March 1918 his army effects of £5-0s-10d were split between his two legatees, Mary C. Amas, who received £1-13s-7d and Charlotte G Theobald, his mother, who received £3-7s-3d. His mother was by then living at 532 Wandsworth Road, Clapham.
On 17 December 1919 his £9 war gratuity was split between Mary K. Amas, who received £3 and his mother who received £6. There does not seem to be any explanation was to why Mary Amas’s middle initial changed from C to K. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.
He is shown as 'THEOBALD, S. J.' on the Western Postal District war memorial in Mount Pleasant, London, WC1. He is also commemorated on the , on the , on the , on the , on the and on .
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in to see them