Subject

Andrew Behan has kindly carried out some research on this man:
Private Sidney Jack Theobald was born in 1895 in Clapham, the younger son of James Theobald and Charlotte Grace Theobald née Fisher. His father was a Brewer’s Foreman (Bottling Department). The 1911 census shows him living with his parents and elder brother Harry George Theobald at 26 Milford Street, Clapham and his occupation is shown as a Telegraph Messenger.

In February 1912 he was appointed as an Assistant Postman in the London Postal Service and in October 1915 he was promoted to the grade of Postman in West London. Army records show that he served in both the Surrey Yeomanry, service number 2928, and in the 11th Battalion, The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment, service number G/40069, before transferring to their 6th Battalion and finally their 2nd Battalion.

He was killed in action, aged 22 years, on 22 October 1917 and as he has no known grave he is commemorated on Panels 14-17 and 162-162a at the Tyne Cot Memorial, near Ypres, Belgium. On 22 March 1918 his effects of £5-0s-10d were split between his two legatees, Mary C. Amas, who received £1-13s-7d and Charlotte G Theobald, his mother, who received £3-7s-3d. His mother was by then living at 532 Wandsworth Road, Clapham.

On 17 December 1919 his £9 war gratuity was split between Mary K. Amas, who received £3 and his mother who received £6. There does not seem to be any explanation was to why Mary Amas’s middle initial changed from C to K. He was posthumously awarded the British War Medal 1914-1918 and the Victory Medal.