Gunner Sydney “Strod” Kilby, died 6 Aug 1916, aged 31 D Battery, LXXXVI (86th Brigade) Royal Field Artillery, 19th (Western) Division Formed as part of the raising of the Second New Army, K2. In February 1915 the three six-gun batteries were reorganised to become four four-gun batteries and were titled as A, B, C and D Batteries. On 25 May 1916 D Battery left to join 89 Brigade as its A Battery. It was replaced by the arrival of A (Howitzer) Battery from 89 Brigade, which was then renamed as 89 Brigade’s D (Howitzer) Battery. 19th (Western) Division This Division was established by the Western Command in September 1914, as part of the Army Orders authorising Kitchener’s Second New Army, K2. Early days were somewhat chaotic, the new volunteers having very few trained officers and NCOs to command them, no organised billets or equipment. The units of the Division initially concentrated in the Bulford area with the infantry being at Tidworth, Ludgershall and Grately. The battalions moved into billets for the winter, in Andover, Whitchurch, Basingstoke and Weston-super-Mare. In March 1915 all units concentrated near Tidworth. The Division was inspected by King George V on 23 June 1915. Advanced parties left for France on 11 July and the main body crossed the English Channel 16-21 July. Units initially moved to the point of assembly near St Omer. The Division served on the Western Front for the remainder of the war, taking part in many of the significant actions: 1915 The Action of Pietre, a supporting/diversionary action during the Battle of Loos 1916 The Battle of Albert* in which the Division captured La Boisselle on 4 Jul In this opening phase, the French and British assault broke into and gradually moved beyond the first of the German defensive systems. For the British, the attack on 1 July proved to be the worst day in the nation’s military history in terms of casualties sustained. It is the aspect of the battle that is most remembered and most written about, and for good reason – but to concentrate on the failures is to entirely miss the point of the Somme and why the battle developed into an epic period of the Great War. On the first day, British forces at the southern end of the British line made an impressive advance alongside the French Sixth Army, capturing the villages of Montauban and Mametz and breaking through the enemy’s defensive system. North of Mametz the attack was an almost unmitigated failure. The situation led to a redirection of effort, with the offensive north of the River Ancre effectively being closed down and all future focus being on the line south of Thiepval. There was a stiff fight for Trones Wood and costly, hastily planned and piecemeal attacks that eventually took La Boisselle, and attacked High Wood and Pozieres Ridge. During this bombardment Strod was injured in “an explosion”, almost certainly either counter-battery fire or a misfire. He was evacuated to Leicester hospital where he died of his wounds on 6 Aug, aged 31. He is buried in Berry Hill graveyard. Sydney “Strod” Kilby is my Great Great Uncle.