Siddall. Robert

The son of Thomas and Emma Siddall, he was born in Hoyland and enlisted at Barnsley on the 23rd February 1915 and became part of "C" Coy. 14th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment, he embarked Davenport on the 28th December 1915 to joined the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force and embarked Egypt on the 10th march 1916 to join the Expeditionary Force France.

He was wounded on the 7th July 1916 and returned home on the 13th September 1916, returning to France on the 16th January 1917, wounded again he returned home on the 11th April 1917, returning to France on the 12th December 1917, where he was again wounded in action and returned to England on the 13th May 1918 and was admitted to the King George hospital

He died of wounds on the 7th July, 1918, while at home.

From the book "Barnsley Pals" by Jon Cooksey,

Robert Siddall's name appears on the nominal roll of the 14th Bn. York and Lancaster Regiment, like many others in 1914 he joined the "Barnsley Pals" and trained at camps in Silkstone, Penkridge Bank at Rugeley, Ripon and Hurdcott on Salisbury Plain,

On Boxing day 1915 the Barnsley 13th and 14th Battalions left Hurdcott to board H.M.T. Andania on the 29th December, 1915, and eventually arrived in Port Said in January, 1916, they went on to El Ferdan to build defensive trenches along the western bank of the Suez Canal at Abu Aruk.

On the 8th March, 1916, they marched from Kantara to embark on the 10th March, aboard H.M.T. Briton and H.M.T. Megantic to arrive at Marseilles on St. Patrick's day 17th March, 1916, where they boarded cattle cars for a 50 hour journey north, to arrive in Pont Remy on the 19th March, 1916, and service on the Western Front.

The book also describes many first hand experiences of the "Barnsley Pals", their journey and the actions they were involved in from training through to their eventual return to Barnsley and the marching of the Battalions colours into Saint. Mary's Church on the 29th May, 1919.

Picture by Ray Brown