Category Archives: Memorials

Hereward Pattision Sadler

Army, Commemorated name/s, Reading School War Memorial, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme

Hereward Pattison Sadler
Second Lieutenant
6th Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment

Divison 64
Extension

Sadler HP photo

Hereward Pattison Sadler,  was the only son of William and Jane Sadler, of ‘Oakdene’ 4, Hillside Gardens, Wallington, Surrey, late ‘Plassey’, Holmes Road, Reading. 

The 1911 census indicates that the family had also lived at 42, Hamilton Road. William Sadler was then the head teacher of an elementary school, sister Ethel is recorded as a teacher for the County council her father for the Borough council.  Hereward was still at school.  An elder sister not living at home in 1911 is recorded as a teacher in 1901 census.

Hereward  died of wounds on 19th July 1916, aged 20. This is the day that the battalion was making an attack on on the village of Longueval and Delville Wood, part of the Somme offensive. Many men in the battalion were killed in the bloody battle by artillery and machine gun fire. It is possible that Hereward Sadler was injured and removed to a place of safety rather than being killed immediately during the action. The wood became known as ‘Devil’s wood’ by the men who fought there.  Another Reading man, Samuel Robert Collier who is also remembered in the Old Reading Cemetery was in the same battalion and lost his life in the fighting.


Hereward Sadler  is buried in the Carnoy Military Cemetery.  Location K. 32

Agnes Maude Russell

Abbey Baptist Church, Dardanelles, Nurse, Registered War Grave

Agnes Maude Russell
Staff Nurse
Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service

 Division 3

CIMG2079

Military honours were accorded at the funeral of Sister Agnes Maude Russell, who died 4th October 1916, at Queen Alexandra’s Hospital for Sick Sisters. Sister Russell, aged 42, was nursing soldiers in Malta when she was invalided home on the 27th September.  The soldiers would probably have been those requiring treatment as a result of action in the Dardanelles.

 Formerly she had been a  school nurse employed by the London Education Committee.  She was also a Sunday School teacher at Westminster Chapel, where the first part of the funeral service was conducted.

Before the interment a service was held at Kings Rd. Baptist Church, the Rev. R. G. Fairbairn officiating.  The hymn “For all the saints”, was sung.    The mourners were Mr. Augustine Russell (father), Mr. E.A. Russell (brother), her sister, brother and sister in law and cousin.  The congregation included members of Westminster Chapel, Matron Q.A. Hospital, members of staff London Education Committee, Matron of No. 1 War Hospital, Numerous floral tributes including from her father, the Girl Guides of Westminster chapel, members of staff London Education Committee, Nurses and staff No. 1 War hospital, the School Nurses League.

Her grave has a CWGC headstone.

Samuel Robert Collier

Abbey Baptist Church, Army, Commemorated name/s, Marlborough House School, Reading University College, Royal Berkshire Regiment, Somme

Samuel Robert Collier (Bob)
Second Lieutenant
6th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 14

 Collier SR photo  CIMG2160 CIMG2161

Samuel Robert Collier known as Bob and commemorated as such on his parents headstone was 23 years old when he was first reported in the Chronicle of 4 August 1916, missing believed killed.  He was the only son of Mr and Mrs S. George Collier, of 198, Tilehurst Road, Reading. 

He was educated at Marlborough House, Reading, and Bath College.  On leaving college he entered Messrs. S. and E. Collier’s Brick and Pottery Works, of which his father was a director.  While at Bath college he was in the Cadet Corps for three years and on leaving became Scout Master of the King’s Road Boy Scouts for four years. 

At the outbreak of war he entered the Berkshire Yeomanry, but later received a commission in the 9th Berkshire Regiment, quartered at Wool.  For four months he acted as transport officer for the regiment, and gave it up to take his examinations at Salisbury Plain, and on June 16 1916 he left for France to join a service battalion of the Berkshires, acting as transport officer till July 15, when he took the post of platoon commander, when the usual transport officer returned from hospital.  He  went into action on July 17 in Delville Wood on the Somme and  was not seen after that date.

 His Captain N. B. Hudson wrote to his parents. “At about 3.30pm I saw your boy lead off his platoon against the enemy in the wood, some of his platoon came back, but I can get no information from them, save that one man told me ( I am afraid this all seems very cruel; but I think you would like me to say all I can) that he had seen an officer’s body lying in the wood, wearing riding breeches and stocking putties, and these I know were the clothes your boy was wearing.  There is only one piece of hope that I think it is right to offer you, and that is no one saw him killed, but in a wood one sees very little.  We have come back 30 miles from the scene of the action now.  From dawn on the 17 until 3.30 p.m. your boy was with me, and showed great coolness under very trying conditions.  At 3.30 p.m. he led his platoon through the wood on the right of the company, while I took the left.  I did not see him anymore.  All I can hope is that you have heard something I have not.  This I can say, that although your boy had only been in my company for two days, I saw in him during the action a fearless and courageous man, whom I felt I could trust.”

 Delville Wood was referred to by the troops as Devils Wood.  Bob Collier’s body was never found and his name is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing Pier and Face 11D