Silas Edward Symons

Soldiers Died in the Great War 1914-1919

The IWGC/CWGC Registers Collection

• First Name: Silas Edward
• Surname: Symons
• Resided Town: Ilford, Essex
• Nationality: British
• Date of Death: 31/01/1917
• Fate: Killed in Action
• Rank: Private
• Service Number: 4110
• Duty Location: France And Flanders
• Campaign Medals: Victory Medal, British War Medal
• Service: British Army
• Regiment: Honourable Artillery Company
• Battalion: 1st Battalion (Why is this important?)
• Commemorated: France

SYMONS, S E

• Rank: Private
• Service No: 4110
• Date of Death: 31/01/1917
• Regiment/Service: Honourable Artillery Company 1st Bn.
• Grave Reference: VIII. C. 20.
• Cemetery: ANCRE BRITISH CEMETERY, BEAUMONT-HAMEL
• CWGC

Honourable Artillery Company during World War 1

WORLD WAR I.

During the WW1 three infantry battalions and seven artillery batteries were raised for service during WWI. September 1914 the 1st Battalion went to France and fought the 1st Battle of Ypres, the Battle of Ancre and the Battle of Ancre and Arras. There after they became an officer training battalion. The 2nd Battalion HAC was raised in August 1914 and was in France by October 1916. By 25th February 1917 they were in action at Bucquoy, and then fought at the Battle of Arras and in May the 3rd Battle of Ypres in October. In November 1917 the battalion moved to the Italian front for the Battle of Vittorio Veneto October 1918, they led a force of Italians, Americans and British compelling the garrison of the strategic island of Papadopoli. For this remarkable feat of arms the HAC was awarded two Distinguished Service Orders, five Military Crosses, three Distinguished Conduct Medals and 29 Military Medals.

Both A and B Batteries of the Honourable Artillery Company went to Suez in April 1915. In July, B Battery fought in the recapture of Sheikh Othman. In February 1917, both batteries took part in the Palestine Campaign, were in action at the First and Second Battle of Gaza and entered Jerusalem in December 1917. In the German counter attack during the Second action of Es Salt on 1 May 1918, A Battery was forced to make a rapid withdrawal under heavy fire, which resulted in the loss of all its guns. Both A and B Batteries took part in the Battle of Megiddo in September. A third battery, the 309th (HAC) Siege Battery, went to France in April 1917 and saw action at the Battle of Messines and the Battle of Amiens

Its company suffered a total lose in WWI of 1600 soldiers, with two Victoria Cross awarded for action in 1917 at Gavrelle.