Sidney was the youmgest son of William, a tailor and Ann Dawson of Rauceby Lincolnshire. He was a carpenter and single living with his sister, Mrs Ethel Heath at 10 Norton Street, Grantham. He joined up under the Derby Scheme on 10 December 1915 and was mobilized on 22 March 1916 into the Royal Engineers. After training at the Chatham Depot he was posted to C Company 1st Reserve Battalion in August 1916. Transferred to the Base Depot in France on 20 March 1917 and posted to 416 Field Company on 15June 1917. On 28 August 1918 he was shot in the neck and chest and evacuated to 45 Casualty Clearing Station where he died on 30 August. He was buried nearby.

In the autumn of 1915 voluntary enlistment was decreasing and conscription was being considered. In a final effort to avoid this the Cabinet appointed Lord Derby, who had been very successful in raising the ‘Kitchener’ armies, as Director of Recruiting. He put forward what became the Lord Derby Scheme. All men of military age, 18-40, were invited to voluntarily register and be called up for service in batches by age. The last day of registration was 10th December 1915 (the date of Sidney’s enlistment). Recruits were given a day’s pay and a kharki armlet emblazoned with the royal crown to avoid the attentions of ‘white-featherers’ and recruiting sergeants. The Scheme was unsuccessful and the Military Service Bill was introduced in January 1916 and Derby volunteers and conscripts were called up simultaneously.

The War Diary of 416th Field Company is unusual in that all personnel movements - sickness, casualties, leave and postings - are noted. This unit was originally the City of Edinburgh’s Fortress Company, Territorial Force. Field Companies (3 in each Division) along with Pioneer Battalions carried out engineering tasks in the front lines and the areas immediately behind. Each had 6 officers and 209 other ranks including 15 blacksmiths, 20 bricklayers, 40 carpenters, 5 clerks, 12 masons, 6 painters, and 8 plumbers. Regular tasks would include preparing defences, assisting in attacks (removing obstacles like wire), making accommodation, providing better communications – trenches, paths, roads and railways and in times of crisis fighting in the front line. The parts relative to Sidney’s death are;

28/8/18 The sections were engaged making bivouacs & shelters as quarters. No 4 section proceeded to CROISILLES to search for mines & booby traps, & during this operation No. 108878 Spr. Dawson, S, was wounded with bullet wound in the neck. The work of making tracks was continued.

30/8/18 108878 Spr. Dawson, S, died of wounds at 45th C.C.S.

The Imperial War Graves Commission did not get a reply from Sidney’s eldest brother which is why there is no family inscription on the gravestone.

Croisilles was captured by the British on 28th August and by 30th the front line was a mile to the east. Casualties were moved to the rear as quickly as possible. The unit’s stretcher bearers would take the casualty to the unit’s Aid Post if there was one, then to an Advanced Dressing Station operated by a Field Ambulance, the first place where emergency operations took place. Next stop was the Casualty Clearing Station where surgery often took place. 45th Casualty Clearing Station was established at Bailleuval 10 miles south west of Arras (and about 12 miles west of Croisilles) in August 1918, remaining there until October. Sidney was buried nearby at Bac du Sud cemetery (Grave III C 23). This cemetery was started by another CCS in March 1918 during the great German offensive that took place at the end of that month. It contains 688 British and 55 German graves, 737 of which have been identified.

Charles Vernon