765 men died on this day, 4th September, 1916. Such casualty figures seem incomprehensible today, but as the 1916 Somme battles dragged on, and with the nearly 20,000 casualties on 1st July 1916 alone, long lists of names in newspapers were a daily fixture throughout the British Empire.
S/16609 Pte John Sheddens of the 1st Battalion, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was one of those 765 casualties on September 4th 1916. He died of wounds and is buried at Heilly Station Cemetery, Mericourt L'Abbe. Soldiers Died in The Great War records that he was born in the pretty Scottish village of Dalserf in Lanarkshire and was living at Larkhall when he enlisted there. His number indicates an enlistment date of early January 1915 and he arrived in France on 11th May 1915.
The Commonwealth War Grave Commission records his surname SHEDDANS.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
Sources:
Ancestry.co.uk (MIC)
Army Ancestry
Army Service Numbers 1881-1918
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Photograph of the rear of Dalserf Parish Church (with what looks to be the village war memorial to the left) from Geograph.
1 comment:
S/16609 Pte John Sheddens was my grandfather's older brother. Thank you for posting this and for putting a human face to war. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
Lisa Shedden
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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