KELLY

		Source
		CWGC	SDGW	Uttoxeter Advertiser	Other
Parents	Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Kelly	Yes		2a	3
Position in the family	Had brothers Arthur C and John Kelly, both of whom also served				3
Where born	Uttoxeter		Yes
When born	1887 or 1888				6
Address	Parents: Bridge Street, Uttoxeter, Staffs	Yes		2a
	Wife: Compton, Leek, Staffordshire	Yes		2a
	Wife: 32, Compton, Leek, Staffs.
Spouse	Lavinia A. Kelly	Yes			3
Children
Employment Before Joining up	Cabinet Maker for Mr. Groves, Brook Street, Leek			2a	3
Where enlisted	Leek, Staffordshire		Yes
Regiment	King’s Royal Rifle Corps	Yes	Yes
Unit	16^th Bn.	Yes	Yes
	16th (S) Bn				3
Rank	Serjeant	Yes	Yes	2a	3
Service Number	C/395	Yes	Yes		3
Date of Death	29 September 1917	Yes	Yes		3
Age at time of death	30	yes			3
Where Killed or died	Ypres salient - Lijssenthoek, Menin Road
Where Killed or died	France/Flanders		Yes
How he died	Died of Wounds		Yes		3
Location of Grave or Memorial	Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery - near Poperinge Grave XXV. A.A. 6.	Yes			5
	Leek Town Clock Tower, Staffordshire				3
	St. Edward Church, Leek, Staffordshire				3
	Uttoxeter Town War Memorial				3
Awards

Before the war he was closely associated with All Saints’ Church, Leek, where he was a sideman and a Sunday School teacher[2a, 3].

He joined the colours three years before his death[2a] and had served in France for two years[2a]. He had been wounded twice before he eventually received his fatal wounds[2a].

Sidney was therefore one of the first to go to war and was one of the elite little band of Old Contemptibles. The Uttoxeter Advertiser reported that he was already serving by the 9th of September[3].

In January 1916 he was serving in France and had written to acknowledge receipt of a Christmas parcel sent by the townsfolk[3].

Shortly after his death his wife received the following letter from the Church of England Chaplain[2a]:

“I deeply regret to say that your husband, Sergt. S. G. Kelly, died here at 6:15 a.m. on September 29 from a bullet wound in the head. He came in on the 27th, but was quite unconscious at the time and did not suffer at all. He passed away peacefully. He lies in Lyscentboch Military Cemetery.”

She also received a letter from Captain Laurence E. Harris, which was quoted in the Uttoxeter Advertiser[2a]:

“It is with the deepest regret I have to inform you of the death from wounds of your husband, Sergt. Kelly, of my company. It was in the attack of the 26th that he was sniped through the head on the Menin Road, after we had captured our objectives. I personally went across to see after him, but he was quite unconscious; I saw him put on a stretcher and carried back. I had great hopes of his recovery, but to-day I hear from the C.C.S. [Casualty Clearing Station] that he has died.

He was really a fine type of man, liked and respected by all. I have known him for six months now, and have been with the C.L.B. Battalion since its formation. His cheery smile under all difficulties will be sadly missed. At the time of his death he was acting Company Sergt. Major. It may relieve you to know that the attack that morning was a wonderful success, many prisoners being taken and many Germans killed. Sir Douglas Haig himself came down yesterday and praised the men for their glorious work in the attack. But without men like your husband the attack would have failed. I can’t tell you how great his loss is to us all. May God help you in your great loss of one of the finest gentlemen I have met.

If there is anything I can do to help, let me know, and I shall be only too pleased to do something.

The Uttoxeter Advertiser roll of honour says that he died at Lyscenthoch, Menin Road, France, but Lyscenthoch is a corruption of Lijssenthoek.