L/Cpl. Sidney Barnes
British Army 9th Btn. Sherwood Foresters
from:Sutton in Ashfield
(d.2nd Jan 1945)
Sidney Barnes enlisted in Mansfield on 17th of January 1940 when he was working as a barman at his Auntie's pub, The Market Hotel, in Mansfield. His record shows that he was enlisted into the 9th Sherwood Foresters and on 26th April he was posted to the B.E.F. in France. Only a short stay, as he was evacuated from Dunkirk on the 1st June and transferred to the 8th Green Howards in October. After 2 years spent back in England he was posted to the Middle East where he served until 7th of January 1943. His next posting was Persia and Iraq until 7th of May 1943 when he returned to the Middle East until 8th of January 1943 when he was part of the British North Africa Force with the 8th Army. It is believed he was at Anzio, although we have no official record of this. He was wounded twice in Italy, 27th May 1944 and 24th of September 1944 and promoted to L/Cpl.
On the 22nd December 1944 he was transferred to 6th York & Lancaster Regiment and on 2nd of January 1945 was in a lecture on a training Cadre in Porto San Giorgo when enemy mines exploded killing 1 Officer and 14 ORs and wounding 3 Officers and 22 ORs, 4 of whom died later of their wounds.
