Sidney

When baby Sidney Pessoll was baptised at Summerhill Chapel, Tipton in 1908, his proud parents Henry and Eliza Jane, plus his many doting older brothers and sisters could have no idea that he was destined for this French beach some 30 years later.

Or that he would never quite make it.

Little Sidney would lose his Mum while still a toddler, and ten years later, their coal miner Dad would also die terribly young; Sidney would be raised by his older married brother from then on.

By 1939, things were looking up for Sidney; he had married his girl Elsie and they had a new baby son.

But then came the War and Sidney would soon become a Gunner with the 2nd Searchlight Regiment, sent with the BEF to France in March 1940, their job to literally fight darkness with light, by picking out enemy aircraft with their huge mobile searchlights.

Sidney had been not quite two months in France when Hitler launched his invasion, with overwhelming speed and ferocity.

Soon, the BEF was everywhere on the retreat; British units became hopelessly scattered, decimated.

Some were ordered to hold their positions to the last man, to give everyone else a chance.

At first, Sidney and his mates made a stand at Arras; an Officer notes: 'Numerous illuminations were obtained on enemy aircraft at varying heights, small arms fire was opened on low-flying aircraft without visible results'.

Like trying to bring down overhead aircraft with revolvers, it was hopeless.

The Germans were heading for Calais, to which Sidney was falling back.

They again tried to defend the city’s perimeter: 'At night, searchlights were situated in pairs on roads and exposed enemy tanks which retired upon being illuminated. Casualties from bombing and ground attack.'

The notes end on 19th May when 'about 20 Other Ranks escaped on foot and were successfully evacuated from Dunkirk.'

But Elsie’s Sidney got lost.

Elsie only knew he was Missing, death presumed.

It would not be until 1957 that she’d know that villagers just outside Calais, had buried Sidney and 9 of his mates in their local churchyard.

She would be asked all those years later if she wanted to have a personal inscription engraved onto his CWGC headstone.

Elsie chose:

'Splendid You Passed, the Great Surrender Made

Loving Wife, Son, Brothers and Sisters.'

Sidney was Not Forgotten by the people who loved him, nor by their descendants today, nor by any of us.

85 years on, Sidney, we love you.