Born in 1882 at Llandudno in Wales, son of Morriss (Draper) and Ada Spinks. 1901: Sydney was a Merchants Clerk, living with his family at 16 Chandos Road, Tottenham. On 7th August 1909 he married Alice May Foreman at St Albans Church Ilford. They had one child, Muriel Alice born in 1911. The census of that year showed Sydney to be a Salesman for a Wholesale Fancy Goods Warehouse, with the family home at 58 Wynndale Road, South Woodford - the address which appears in his Grant of Probate.
He described himself as a Commercial Traveler in January 1917 when he joined 2/28 London Regiment - the Artists Rifles. After training he left Southampton on 19th February 1917, arriving at Le Havre on 20th March He served in France with 1/28 London.
From June 1917 the Battalion was part of 190 Brigade, 63 (Royal Naval) Division, and from July 1917 to September 1917 performed front line duty at Oppy and Gavrelle in Arras. To quote the Regimental History; “With the exception of a few casualties, nothing of special note occurred during this period so far as the Artists were concerned.”
Unfortunately Sidney Spinks was among those few casualties, being Killed in Action.
Research by Adrian Lee, Local Historian
Sources:
Ancestry.com