Sydney Alfred Roach

A Civilian, Sydney died on 10th of August 1941 at the age of 49. 

Sydney was born at Lowestoft on 12 March 1892, a son of James and Martha Ashley Roach. Sydney's family lived at 71 Wollaston Road. In 1911 Sydney was employed as a domestic groom.

Sydney was working as a groom, for Lilian Boswell at Tudor Lodge, Lowestoft, when he volunteered to join the Army. He attested and joined the Suffolk Regiment, at Lowestoft, on 9 September 1914, number 12648. He was posted to the 9th Battalion and served in France from 30 August 1915. 

Sydney married Jessie May Smith at Saint Margaret's Church, Lowestoft, on 18 December 1917. At that time he was a soldier on active service, and Jessie lived at 16 Queens Road. 

Sydney returned to France on 5 February 1918, to join the 11th Battalion. He was captured by the Germans on 13 April 1918 and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner. He was repatriated to Hull on 3 December 1918. He was demobilized on 7 March 1919 and his intended address was 16 Queens Road, Lowestoft. 

In 1921 Sydney and Jessie were living with Jessie's mother, and siblings, at 16 Queens Road, and Sydney worked as a general labourer for Lowestoft Corporation. 

By 1939 Sydney and Jessie were living at 71 Wollaston Road and Sydney worked as a chauffeur. 

On the night of 9-10 August 1941 an air raid took place at Lowestoft. Sydney, Jessie, their nineteen year old son Frank, William and Georgina Powell, and their son William, took shelter in a double Anderson shelter at the end of the garden of 71 Wollaston Road. A high explosive bomb scored a direct hit on the shelter killing everyone inside. 

Sydney's nephew Henry died in 1944.