Sydney Charles Gillings

A Private with the Royal Army Medical Corps, Sydney died on 25th of September 1944 at the age of 26. 

Sydney was a son of John Frederick and Elizabeth Blanche Gillings of The Street, Blundeston. Sydney had worked as a gardener before he joined the Army. 

Sydney was a medic and he was attached to the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders. 

As part of Operation Market Garden the 15th (Scottish) Division were involved in taking the town of Eindhoven, where they arrived on 21 September, and then moving northwards to Best. Capturing Best proved to be extremely difficult because of the well placed German forces. The battle focussed on the brick factory which, effectively, became a fortress. The 2nd Gordon Highlanders were committed to an attack on the brick factory and were unsuccessful losing over 40 men. Later RAF Typhons aircraft with rockets attacked the brick factory, but this proved fruitless. Eventually heavy artillery had to be employed to flatten the brick factory and it was no until September 26th that Best was finally in Allied hands. (See www.ww2marketgarden.com for more details)

Sydney would have been involved in tending the wounded and he was himself killed on 25 September. Commonwealth War Grave documents show that initially he was buried at Best. After the war battlefield clearance saw burials concentrated at Mierlo which is where Sydney now rests.  

Sydney's uncles: Cornelius Gillings and Sydney Charles Gillings, both served with the Suffolk Regiment. Cornelius died in 1915 and Sydney in 1916.