Cpl. Sydney Carl Jordan

The grandson of Rev. Canon Jordan, Sydney Carl Jordan was reported 'missing believed dead' during the Battle of Passchendaele at Ypres in Belgium on 12 October 1917. On 13 July 1917 he had written to his mother; "These few moments were the most exciting of my life, they seemed like hours, at last there was a rattle of machine guns a roar of guns, then the ground shook, the sky was ablaze - then a deafening roar, then I yelled to my section, ‘Up and over boys’. Soon we were out of our trenches and close up to that curtain of fire, smoke and flying steel. Story ©Debbie McCauley.

Sydney Carl Jordan was born in Thames 23 August 1895 (reg. 1895/9223). He was the son of James and Helen Jordan (nee Walker) who married in 1894 (reg. 1894/2172).

Sydney was the grandson of the Reverend Canon Charles Jordan (1838-1912). Canon Jordan arrived in Tauranga, New Zealand, in 1873 from Ireland. He was the first Church of England Minister in Tauranga, served as Chairman of the Town Board and was elected mayor of Tauranga in 1887, and again in November 1900, and April 1901. After he died in 1912 a statute to his memory was erected inside the Memorial Gates at the Tauranga Domain.

Sydney was an accomplished athlete and horseman. He worked as a clerk in Napier for the New Zealand Insurance Company.

On 31 May 1915 Sydney enlisted to fight during World War I (Service No. 24/482). He was with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade 2nd Battalion.

On the early hours of 19 June 1917 Sydney sprained his left ankle whilst returning from the trenches after relief. It was reported that an accident occured on duty, but Sydney was in no way to blame. The incident occurred at Regent Street, Ploegsteert Wood and Sydney was admitted to the No 3 Canadian General Hospital.

On 13 July 1917 Sydney wrote to his mother; "These few moments were the most exciting of my life, they seemed like hours, at last there was a rattle of machine guns a roar of guns, then the ground shook, the sky was ablaze - then a deafening roar, then I yelled to my section, ‘Up and over boys’. Soon we were out of our trenches and close up to that curtain of fire, smoke and flying steel".

Corporal Sydney Carl Jordan was reported missing believed dead during the Battle of Passchendaele at Ypres in Belgium on 12 October 1917, aged 22. He is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

His medals were sent to his mother at the Old Vicarage in Tauranga.

References:

• Archives New Zealand: Military personnel file.
• Auckland War Memorial Museum: Cenotaph Record.
• Bellamy, A. C. (1982). Tauranga 1882-1982 (pp. 39-40).
• Births, Deaths & Marriages Online (New Zealand).

JORDAN Word was received by Mrs C Jordan on Saturday announcing that her grandson Corporal Sydney Carroll Jordan of the Rifle Brigade was reported wounded and missing ... He was only twenty-two years of age and was the eldest son of Mr James Jordan, clerk of the court at Napier and grandson of our late highly respected incumbent Rev. Canon Jordan... Corporal Jordan is also a cousin of the famous operatic star, Madame Melba. He was born at Thames ...WW1 Deaths 1914-1921 - JORDAN Sydney Carl Date 12 Oct 1917 Reference 24/482 Rank Corporal Force NZRB Fate KIA Place France Relation Son of Mr. and Mrs. James Jordan, of Tauranga, Thames. Cemetery BELGIUM - TYNE COT CEMETERY [Bay Of Plenty Times, 12 November 1917, Page 2].