Sidney Blagg

Sidney was born in 1881 in South Collingham and was the son of Thomas an auctioneer's clerk and Margaret Eliza Blagg nee Sneap at 25 Cartergate , Newark. Thomas was born in 1838 in Car Colston, his wife Margaret Eliza was born 1845 in South Collingham they were married in June 1874 in Newark. They had four children, Thomas born 1875, Eva Mary b1878, Sidney b1881 and Beatrice b1883; all their children were born in South Collingham. In the 1901 census the family are living at 25 Carter Gate, Newark, Thomas is 63 years of age and a clerk to auctioneers and land agents, he is living with his wife Margaret 56 years and two of his children, Eva M 23 years and Sidney 20 years of age and a bank clerk. By the 1911 census the family are still living at 25 Carter Gate, Newark, Thomas now 73 years of age is living with his wife Margaret 66 years and two of his children, Eva Mary 33 years and Sidney 30 years still single and is still working as a bank clerk. His probate was proven on 30th October 1918 in London, and shows him as Sidney Blagg 15 Berridge Road, Nottingham Second Lieutenant with the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Regiment, died on 29th July 1918 in France, on active service. His effects of £1,389 9 shillings and 1 pence were left to Thomas Blagg (father) valuer and Eva Mary Blagg (sister ) spinster.

He was educated at the Magnus Grammar School, Newark and later went to work for the Union of London and Smith’s Bank at Nottingham He was a member of Nottingham Rowing Club.

He was attached to the 1/4th Royal Sussex Regiment. He was Serjeant in the South Notts Hussars at the outbreak of the war and served with them for 3 years as R.Q.M.S. He served with South Notts Hussars in Palestine. Gained a commission in early 1918 and was gazetted to the Sherwood Foresters and served in France. Killed in action 29th July 1918 and commemorated on the Soissons Memorial. The following is an extract from the Magnus School, Newark diary of the 'Great War' :- Tuesday 13 August 1918: Septuagenarians Thomas and Margaret Blagg at 25 Cartergate received the news that their youngest son, Sidney, was dead. They knew, from a letter received the previous Tuesday that he had been wounded. They thought he had been cut-off by a German attack on 29 July and taken prisoner. But now a letter arrived from his Commanding Officer in the 1/4th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment explaining that when the Battalion retook ground that they had lost, they found his body. To add to the anguish, Sidney had written home only two days before he died saying he had been promised leave at the end of the month. Aged 37, he was educated at the Magnus, went to work for the Union of London and Smith’s Bank at Nottingham, spent eight years in the South Notts Hussars, and entered the War with the rank of Sergeant, spending three years as Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant. For his services in Egypt, he was mentioned in despatches by General Allenby. He had fought in Salonika and Palestine before Egypt; went on to be gazetted in the Sherwood Foresters in March 1918, went to France at the end of June and was involved in some of the most strenuous fighting. Second Lieutenant Blagg is remembered on the Soissons Memorial, the Magnus War Memorial and, as he had been a member of Nottingham Rowing Club, the Rowers’ Memorial on Trent Bridge, Nottingham.

Nottingham Rowing Club archive (Nottinghamshire Archives ref DD 815/67/48). Undated letter from 25 Cartergate, Newark, to NRC offices; the letter was probably in reply to a request by the Club for information for the Club's archive/ROH: 'S Blagg was a sergeant in the South Notts Hussars at the outbreak of war and was promoted to RQMS before the Regiment went abroad in April 1915. He remained with the Regiment the winter of 1917 and was mentioned in General Allenby’s despatches for service in Palestine. He obtained his Commission early in 1918 and was gazetted to the Notts & Derbys but attached to the 1st/4th Royal Sussex with whom he was serving in France and was killed in action, July 29th 1918.' There is a note on the National Archieves Website which states : - Extensive collection of 359 ms letters written principally whilst serving as an NCO with the South Nottinghamshire Hussars Yeomanry, 1914-18. These cover mobilisation and Home Defence August 1914 to April 1915, during which he became RQMS March 1915 (2nd Mounted Division), and in Egypt until February 1916, when he went to Salonika (unit part of 7th Mounted Brigade from January 1916). Returning to Egypt in July 1917 the unit became part of the Desert Mounted Corps, but he was withdrawn for Officer Training October 1917 to March 1918. Gazetted to the Notts and Derbys Regiment, he was posted to the 1-4th Battalion Royal Sussex Regiment in Palestine (53rd Division) until May, when the unit was sent to France. After a period of training, the battalion was engaged in the Marne battle July 1918 (34th Division) where he was killed. The letters very rarely mention actions and are principally of value for their descriptions of life and conditions in England, Egypt and Salonika. The bulk of the collection comprises 359 ms letters sent by Blagg to his parents and sister Eva in Newark, with a number of newspaper cuttings and other miscellaneous items. References to his involvement in action are entirely absent, although it seems possible that he did not actually come under fire until the last few days of his life. The content of his letters is, aside from family matters, very descriptive of his daily life and local conditions. The countryside, people and native flora and fauna are frequent topics, as are his duties and general regimental matters. Shortcomings in official rations or kit lead to frequent requests to his parents for specific items of food, clothing, and other 'comforts'. The letters were used by G Fellows and B Freeman in writing the Regimental History of the South Notts Hussars in 1928. Date: 1914-1918 Held by: Imperial War Museum Department of Documents, not available at The National Archives Article published 14th August 1918 in the Newark Advertiser :- Youngest son of Thomas & Margaret E. Blagg, 25 Cartergate, Newark. Educated at Magnus School, following which he was in employ of Union of London and Smith’s Bank, Nottingham. Had at one time been in the Warks. Volunteers at Coventry. While at Nottingham spent 8 years with South Notts. Hussars. He held rank of Sgt. when war broke out, serving 3 years as R.Q.M.S. in Egypt. Mentioned in despatches by General Allenby. Later went to Salonika and then Palestine. Recommended for a commission and trained as a cadet in Cairo. Gazetted on March 17th to Sherwood Foresters, but attached to Royal Berks. Went to France at the end of June 1918.