2 Lt SC Woodroff e VC

Woodroffe was awarded the VC for most conspicuous bravery on the 30th July 1915, at Hooge, Belgium.

As part of the WW1 commemorations a memorial paving stone will be laid in his town of birth Lewes in East Sussex at 11am on Thursday 30 July 2015.

The location of the ceremony is at Lewes Library, Styles Field, BN7 2LZ

This is a public event and lasts for about 30 minutes.

The Rifl e Brigade Assn will be represented. Members of the RGJ Assn from the local area may wish to attend.

Hooge, near Ypres, Belgium 30 July 1915

On 30 July 1915 at Hooge, east of Ypres, 8th Battalion The Rifl e Brigade had just taken over a section of trenches when at about 3.15am the Germans attacked. A two- or three-minute bombardment was followed by the Germans deploying 'liquid fi re', their fi rst use of fl amethrowers. Under cover of the fl ames and smoke German bombers then stormed the British line. Second Lieutenant S C Woodroffe's platoon had been unaffected by the fl ame throwers and fought off the attempts of the bombers. However they were almost cut off by the German advance and Woodroffe managed to withdraw the platoon to British lines by wayof the Menin Road. At 2.45pm the British mounted a major counter-attack but the preceding bombardment had made little impression on the enemy and Woodroffe was among the many attackers to be killed, shot while cutting through enemy barbed wire.

Sidney Clayton WOODROFFE VC Second Lieutenant, 8th Battalion The Rifl e Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own), 41st Brigade, 14th Division

War Offi ce, 6th September, 1915. Second Lieutenant Sidney Clayton Woodroffe, late 8th Battalion, The Rifl e Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own)

CITATION: For most conspicuous bravery on the .30th july, 1915, at Hooge. The enemy having broken through the centre of our front trenches, consequent on the,use of burning liquids, this Offi cer’s position was heavily attacked with bombs from the fl ank and subsequently from the rear, but he managed to defend his post until all his bombs were exhausted, and then skilfully withdrew his remaining men. This very gallant Offi cer immediately led his party forward in a counter-attack under an intense rifl e and machine-gun fi re, and was killed whilst in the act of cutting the wire obstacles in the open. (Third Supplement to The London GazeƩ e of 3 September 1915. 6 September 1915, Nunib. 29286, p. 8839)