Spr Sidney Ernest Simmins

Sidney was born in Southwark, London, in 1890, the son of William Charles Dawe Simmins and Mary Agnes Steele Simmins. His father died not long after Sidney was born, and his mother remarried to James Osborn - this brought the family to 60 Kimpton Avenue, Brentwood.

Somehow, Sidney ended serving as an engineer in a Canadian signalling company during the first world war, dealing with telephone wires and repairing the wide range of communication equipment used on the front line. This took him to the Battle of Amiens, which began on 8th August 1918. This was the first battle of the Allied offensive that ultimately led to the end of the war. Sidney was killed on the second day of this battle.

He is buried in Crouy British Cemetery, Crouy-Sur-Somme, and remembered on the St Thomas war memorial in Brentwood.