SERGEANT SIDNEY LOVELESS: 860500
227th. Brigade Royal Field Artillery
Sidney was born in 1892, one of eight children born to John and Martha Marina Loveless. Sidney was a middle child, born after Fred, Kate and William and before Annie, Henry, John and Reginald. Not all the children reached adulthood. John died when he was only four and Henry was twelve when he died in 1907.
The family originally lived in South Street but by 1901 they had moved to 14/16 Sandford Court—near 24 South Mill Lane. Ten years later, the family were living at 37 North Allington.
Sidney’s father, John, was employed as a general labourer and hawker, but the rest of the family found employment in the rope and net industry. Sidney was a net braider and his sisters and mother worked as machinists, spinners and reelers. Fred was a ropemaker.
At the outbreak of war, Sidney was 22 years old. There is no trace of his enlistment papers so it’s unclear when he joined the Royal Field Artillery. However, he rose through the ranks and was promoted to sergeant by the end of hostilities in 1918.
Sidney survived the conflict and returned home to North Allington, once again residing with his mother – by then widowed – and his brothers William and Reg. However, in 1920, Sidney died, aged 28. He is listed as a casualty of the Great War by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, so this leads us to suspect that when Sidney returned from the war he was not a fit man and despite care and attention back in Bridport he eventually died as a result of his war injuries.
Sidney is buried in Bridport Cemetery.