The Royal Green Jackets Associa on
The Rifle Brigade and the Royal Gardens
Sergeant Sydney Cobbold (1887-1916) Sydney George Cobbold had two very different royal connections – from becoming a gardener at the prestigious Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to serving in The Rifle Brigade of His Majesty’s Forces during the First World War, where his promising life was cut short. Recent collaboration between the head of Kew’s First World War Centenary commemoration project (James), the Head of Education at Newquay Zoo (Mark) and one of Sydney’s living relatives (Sarah), has allowed this fascinating story to be pieced together and told for the first time. Sydney was a Suffolk lad, born to Anna and Maurice Cobbold on 12 September 1887 in the village of Woolpit, near Bury St. Edmunds. Even by 2007 Woolpit had a population of only 2,030 – yet it has a museum of its own, purportedly the smallest museum in Suffolk. Sydney had two brothers and five sisters (England & Wales Births 1837-2006, General Register Office). Alec Maurice Cobbold, Sydney’s younger brother, also served his country (in the Machine Gun Corps) and survived the war. Sydney began his gardening career at the tender age of 13, as a gardener’s assistant in the employ of Dr O.R.M. Wood, the local GP in Woolpit, whilst still living at home with his parents. By December 1905 (aged 18), he was working for Coningsby Charles Sibthorp at Sudbrooke Holme in Lincolnshire (a stately home which was demolished in the 1920s and the land subsequently built upon). Sarah Cobbold, a living relative of Sydney, still has a postcard of ‘Chelmsford Shire Hall’ from Gus Phillips, husband of Sydney’s sister Alice Eliza, which was addressed to Sydney at Sudbrooke Holme on 20 December 1905. Sydney applied for a position at Kew in January 1908, receiving glowing references from his past employers, who commented that he was “very keen and attentive to his duties” and “a most respectable young man in every way”. Sydney arrived at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on 23 March, and was photographed with the rest of the gardening team in his year of entry. He quickly demonstrated his strong work ethic and acute attention to detail. Sydney’s studious attitude paid off as he passed the five courses he undertook at Kew, gaining the fourth highest score in the 1909 Economic Botany course, taught By Mr J.M. Hillier of Kew’s Museum, as reported in J. Kew Guild 2(17): 460 (1909). In total, 16 certificates were awarded that year. Looking back at Sydney’s time at Kew, his peers remarked: “we remember him as a quiet unassuming young man, thorough in his work, and a keen student in the lecture-room. Much of his spare time was devoted to British Botany, his collection being commended for the number of widely differing species and neatness in mounting” (J. Kew Guild 3(24): 370, 1917). 24 | Volume 7 Issue 2
With his formal training complete, and from the leading botanical institution in the country, Sydney was in the best position he could be to work in the grandest gardens of Britain. Leaving Kew in March 1910, he took up a position at the Earl of Ellesmere’s residence in Worsley, near Manchester. The 1911 census described him rather romantically as a ‘journeyman gardener’, who was boarding with other gardeners in the Bothy at Worsley Hall Gardens under foreman Arthur Edward Upjohn. Sydney quickly progressed to foreman at Moorfield, Glossop, and then at Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire, before thoughts of the war in Europe dominated his mind. He was keen to contribute to the war effort, so he left his job as foreman at Capesthorne Hall, and enlisted in His Majesty’s Forces on 9 June 1915, joining the 8th Battalion of the Rifle Brigade (service number S/12906). A letter dated 18 June was received by the Kew Guild, in which Sydney informed his old friends that he had enlisted. Again he wrote on 9 November, stating: “We have completed our training and shall be on the move very soon. I am eager to do my little bit in the firing-line somewhere abroad. I will write and let you have some of my experiences when I get out”. He then headed for France, arriving in the ‘theatre of war’ on 18 December 1915. By 19 August 1916 Sydney was Acting Sergeant, promoted temporarily due to loss of leadership (there had been a sergeant killed on 17 August). By 28 August, he was again listed as Corporal, being officially promoted to Sergeant in a permanent capacity shortly afterwards (British Army Service Records 1914-1920). During August and September Sydney marched from Dernancourt to Mametz to Delville Wood (or ‘Devil’s Wood’ as it quickly became known), and back to camps at Dernancourt, Laleu and Fricourt for short rest periods. On 12 September his battalion took over the line to the east of Delville Wood, relieving 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers. A day later Sydney’s C.O. of ‘A’ Company, Captain Backus, was wounded in the face during shelling of their trenches in front of Pilsen Lane. Friday 15 September was an especially tough day. The 8th Rifle Brigade and 8th King’s Royal Rifle Corps were to lead an advance at the opening to the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. Sydney’s battalion moved forward under a barrage at 06:20, suffering casualties from their own gas shells and then heavy casualties from enemy fire once they were beyond the first 150 yards. Facing hails of bullets from German held trenches called ‘Pint Trench’ and ‘Tea Support’ by the British, the long lines of riflemen advanced, yet somehow Sydney survived this horrendous run and they successfully captured Pint Trench. The Casualty List for that day is strikingly long and “a great shortage of stretchers and bearers” is noted (To be con nued on next page) E-Zine 2015
