In Agny Military Cemetery, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of 17824 Private Sydney Casewell Cureton serving with the 5th (Service) Battalion King’s Shropshire Light Infantry who died 15/07/1916.

Sydney Casewell Cureton was born in Church Aston, Newport, Shropshire in 1895, the youngest son of five children to a William George Hassal Cureton, born Whitchurch, Shropshire, 29th June 1866, died 28th February 1952, at Quarry House, Market Drayton, Shropshire, and his wife Harriet nee Doody, Cureton, born February 1858, baptised 26th April 1858. They were married in 1889.

The other children were: –

• John William Hassal Cureton, born 15th August 1893, died 31st August 1954. He was a Law Clerk.
• Flora Cureton, born 2nd August 1896, died 9th May 1989. She married in 1927 a William Arthur Maurice Beer, born 25th April 1894, died 17th April 1952. In 1939, she was a Matron at the Public Assistance Office, and William was an Executive clerk at the County Council.
• Georgina Cureton, born 17th October 1891, baptised 29th November 1891, died 1972. She married in 1921 a Richard Walter o Mealham, born 21st July 1897, died 1947. Georgina was a Telephonist in 1921 for the General Post Office at Newport. She passed her Second Division Civil Service examinations on the 5th January 1921. [Under Clause 7 of the Order in Council of 10th January 1921 refers]. In 1939, they were residing at the Heuhgate Hotel, Sundorne Road, Shrewsbury in Shropshire.

One other child died.

Sydney Casewell Cureton was a domestic gardener, and at Shifnal in Shrewsbury, who were selling Shrubberies, Plantations, Birch trees 10 feet, 12s a dozen carriage paid.

His father was an Engineer Pattern Maker and in 1911, his family were residing at 2 Newtown, Church Aston, Newport, Shropshire. In 1881, the father was residing at his parent’s house at the Bridge Tavern, Chetwynd End, where his father was a Licensed Victualler, Alfred Hassal Cureton and Mary Cureton. In 1871, the father was residing at Hinstock.

Sydney’s mother, Harriet was the daughter of a James and Harriet Doody, she was the eldest daughter of five children. She had resided at Marsh Lane, Newtown.

Sydney Casewell Cureton enlisted at Durham, into the 5th (Service) Battalion, Kings Shropshire Light Infantry in February 1915. Service number 17824, with the rank of private. He was a gardener for St Bede’s college from 1912, at Durham University before he enlisted. He was given the nickname ‘Boanerges’ by the students.
The 5th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 42nd Brigade in the 14th (Light) Division in May 1915 also for service on the Western Front. They were formed at Shrewsbury in August 1914 as part of K1 and came under orders of 42nd Brigade in 14th (Light) Division. Moved initially to Aldershot and then went on to Chiddingfold in March 1915, before briefly returning to Aldershot. On the 20th May 1915, they landed at Boulogne. 4th February 1918, they were disbanded at Jussy. Troops dispersed to 1st, 1/4th, 6th and 7th Battalions.

Sydney Casewell Cureton was killed on the 15th July 1916, in the vicinity of Arras, he was one of three killed that day. The Battalion was in the H Right Sector trenches. A smoke screen was made by the 55th Division on our right. Immediately the smoke was observed by the enemy, he opened fire only for a short time. This resulted in 3 killed and 8 wounded.
War Diary: 5th Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry.

Agny Military Cemetery was begun by French troops, and used by Commonwealth units and field ambulances from March 1916 to June 1917. Two further burials were made in April 1918, and in 1923-24, 137 graves were brought in from the battlefields east of Arras. The 40 French graves have been removed. Agny Military Cemetery contains 408 Commonwealth burials of the First World War, 118 of them unidentified, and five German graves.

The father received a dependant’s pension of 5s [Shillings} a week from the 13th February 1917.
In 1921, the father now was a Caretaker at the Literary Institute at Newport, Salop. And with his wife Harriet, they were still residing at 2 Newtown, Aston, Salop, with their youngest daughter Georgina now engaged.

By 1939, Harriett had died and William George Hassal Cureton now a widower, was still a caretaker residing at 2 Newtown Aston, Salop. He died on the 22nd February 1952.

[The Durham Bugle Summer 2014 has an article by Peter Nelson “The Forgotten Man” – S.C. Cureton, in which he states Sydney was a student at Bede College. This is incorrect. This has been confirmed by the The Roll of Honour D47.127 gives no years of attendance for Sydney at Bede College as with all the other names. He was employed as the Gardener at the College].

Sources: The Durham Bugle; The British Newspaper Archive; The Western Front Association; War Diaries, The Long Long Trail; Peter Nelson; St Bede Roll of Honour; NEWMP;

Sydney Casewell Cureton is remembered at Durham on D47.126 and D47.127.

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