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Sgt. George Sidney Carter
British Army 16th Btn. Royal Welsh Fusiliers
from:3 Lucerne Road, Islington, Middlesex
(d.2nd Dec 1916)
On 21st of April 1915, in Islington, two best friends, George Sidney Carter and William Albion Bernard Hart signed up to fight for their country. They were each given their service numbers 27414 and 27415 in the 16th Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers. It is likely they arrived in France with the Battalion on 4th December 1915. The 16th spent the winter and spring of 1916 in and out of the front line trenches before training for the great offensive on the Somme. The 38th Division, including the 16th Bn RWF took part in the attack on Mametz Wood which became a byword for its horror. William Hart, in later life, could not stand the twilight as it reminded him of crawling over dead bodies in Mametz Wood ("Metz" as it was known to them). Like so many they saw and experienced some horrific sights, George rose to the rank of sergeant and certainly William, was gassed and later on in life suffered from this exposure.
The Battalion later went back to Flanders and the Ypres area and again took its turns in and out of the front line and here, in the early hours of 2nd December 1916 (12.15am), a hostile party entered the trench. The enemy retired after a stay of only a few minutes but George Sidney Carter was blown-up and killed right next to his best friend. George was 26. His friend managed to retrieve his French-English Dictionary and this has been cherished and passed down through our family with great pride. Not only will the little brown dictionary be treasured but the memory of the fallen and, in particular, George Sidney Carter will not be forgotten.
