7533 Pte Stephen Charles Sadgrove, 2nd Bn, York & Lancs Regt

7533 Pte Stephen Charles Sadgrove of the 2nd Battalion, York & Lancaster Regiment, was killed in action on the 17th January 1915. He was a Londoner, born in Hoxton, and had enlisted with the York and Lancs as an eighteen-year-old. That was back on the 1st December 1903 at Stratford, east London. He stood five feet eight and a half inches tall, had a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair. He had a small scar on the back of his neck.

Stephen enlisted for the then general terms of service of three years with the Colours and nine on the Reserve. He would have therefore just been approaching the end of that long period on the Reserve when he was recalled to the Colours at Pontefract on the 4th August 1914.

During his short time with the Colours he appears to have served only in the UK. He had been appointed lance-corporal in October 1904 but been deprived of this stripe in June 1905.

Stephen Sadgrove was killed at Chapelle D'Armentieres and he is buried in the old military cemetery there. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that he was the son of Joseph and Maude Sadgrove of London. He also had a sister, Daisy Sadgrove, who appears to have been the only surviving member of the Sadgrove family by 1919. Joseph Sadgrove had died in 1900 and thus been spared the news of learning that his son had been killed. Maud Sadgrove though, was not so fortunate and died in 1916 at the age of 67.

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.

Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk (MIC, WO 363)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Soldiers Died in The Great War