3oth June 1916. The Boar's Head, Richebourg.
SD/1637 Charlie Hodges, back row, far left, was killed in action on this day whilst serving with the 12th (Service) Battalion (2nd South Down), Royal Sussex Regiment. The photo dates from happier times and shows the Newick School cricket team in 1909. You can read more about this on my Chailey 1914-1918 blog.
Charles Hodges was born in Newick, Sussex and joined the 2nd South Down Battalion at Lewes in November 1914. At the time of his death he was 20 years old. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission notes that he was the son of the late G Hodges.
Charles has no known grave and is commemorated on the Loos Memorial. He was one of over 1100 casualties sustained by the Sussex Regiment's South Down battalions that morning. You can read more about their attack on the Boar's Head on my Chailey website.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
Sources:
Ancestry (MIC)
Soldiers Died in The Great War
Army Service Numbers
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
4 comments:
My grandfather, Pte Hubert Dancy, was at the Battle of Richebourg as a member of the 13th Battalion Royal Sussex. He came from Horsham, and joined up with 3 of his brothers. In the battle, he was blown up by a German grenade, and picked up by a German stretcher party. After recovering from his injuries, he spent the rest of the war as a prisoner near Dortmund, and came home in December 1918.
kayjaydee, thank you for posting. He was one of the lucky ones wasn't he? Coincidentally I was in Long Melford today and in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church where the poet Edmund Blunden (formerly 11th Royal Sussex) is buried.
Paul
My father remembered as boy being sent to stay with relatives in Sussex, and that in one day 3 telegrams arrived advising of the death of the three sons, his cousins. I wonder whether it was the battle of Richebourg?
Richard, do you know the boys' surname?
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