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Sidney Edwin Burgess - Information

When Sidney decided to enlist in the AIF, he was living with his wife, Olive Mary, and their son, Sidney Thomas, at 25 Bloomfield St in Darlinghurst. Sidney supported the family working as a tailor. He was born in Picton and grew up in the area, attending Picton Public School. He then completed a 5 year apprenticeship with a Mr I. A. McKnight in Picton. When he was 36, he travelled to Cowra to enlist in the AIF on the 8th of June 1916. He trained in Goulburn and was allotted to the 6th Reinforcements, 55th Battalion. He said goodbye to Olive and his son, departing Sydney onboard the HMAT Ceramic on the 7th of October 1916.

On the 21st of November, Sidney landed in Plymouth, England. A month later, he proceeded overseas to France. In early February, he joined the 55th Battalion in the snow-covered trenches, and was assigned to D Company, 13th Platoon. Sidney was then killed in action on the 2nd of April 1917. He was buried, but the whereabouts of his remains was lost with further attacks and bombardments. Olive commenced writing the army in 1917. She was bitterly disappointed that she was not furnished with any particulars to her beloved husband’s death or burial. In 1921, the army informed Olive, that they and the Commonwealth Graves Commission were searching old battlefields for unregistered remains. Sidney was fortunately found and re-interred in the Lebucquiere Communal Cemetery, Arras in France. Although this brought some closure, it could not make up for the terrible loss of the Burgess family.