Sidney and William Lucas. C Lucas

Army, Arras, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, Royal Berkshire Regiment, St. Laurence's Church, Ypres

Sidney Lucas
Private 10471 2nd Battalion “C” Company
Royal Scots Fusiliers

 William Lucas
Corporal 201709
5th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 66
Extension

Lucas S photo Lucas W Photo Lucas C photo

Sidney and William Lucas, were the twin sons of  Henry and Jessie Lucas, of 48, Swansea Road,  Reading.  They are commemorated on the kerbs of a family grave. Jessie Lucas had borne eleven children. At the time of the 1911 census Henry is recorded as a waiter, other members of the family are working in various occupations within the printing industry. Older brothers Harry and Sidney are working as general labourers and Thomas in the Music Hall. William is not living at home. He was married to Elizabeth Lucas, of 7, Selwood Place, Slough. The 1901 census also names an older brother Charlie who could be the C.Lucas pictured above.

Sidney Lucas was killed in action at Festubert on 17th May 1915.  His body was never identified and he is recorded on the La Touret memorial to the Missing, panel 12 & 13.  He was aged 23.

William Lucas was killed in action on 27th April 1917. He is buried in the  Faubourg D’Amiens Cemetery, Arras.  Location Plot V.  Row C.  Grave number 23.  He was 25.

C. Lucas Private
1st Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers

C. Lucas is pictured with Sidney Lucas, and his address given as 103, Great Knollys Street, Reading.  It is not clear whether they were brothers.

The Standard of January 9th 1915 gave pictures and information that Sidney Lucas had been wounded in the left hand and C. Lucas had been wounded in the forehead.

Greater detail about C. Lucas was given in the same paper of January 16th 1915 under the title “Left for Dead”.  Quoting C. Lucas the report gave detail of his wounding…“ a woollen head comforter lessened the force of the blow and saved my life”.   He had fallen unconscious and was given up for dead by comrades, who carried him to a dug out and covered him with straw.  In this condition he lay for 13 hours and then a chum tried to rouse him and shouted, “Now’s your chance”.  Lucas then commenced to stagger to an ambulance wagon, which he says was 3 miles distant, and reached without mishap.  He had been wounded on November 5th during the 1st Battle of Ypres.  After treatment at Boulogne he was sent to Norwich hospital and then home on sick leave.  He had been a Reservist and was employed at the Place Theatre as a stage hand before the war.

 

Charles Henry Lukeman & Thomas Lukeman

Army, Commemorated name/s, Huntley & Palmers, Royal Berkshire Regiment, St. Batholomew's Church, Ypres

Charles Henry Lukeman
Sergeant 1st/4th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Division 60
Adjacent to wall with Wokingham Road

Lukeman CH photo Lukeman CH mem name Lukeman T photo

 

Charles Henry Lukeman is commemorated on a large family headstone along with his brother Private Tom Lukeman. Both men are commemorated on the St. Bartholomew’s Church war memorial. They lived at 152, Chomley Road, Reading.

Charles Lukeman was killed by a sniper on August 16th 1917 aged 30.

The allied forces had on that day attacked along a nine mile front north of the Ypres – Menin Road crossing the Steenbeek River.  The ground was torn by the barrage and the low water  table made No-Mans Land a morass.   All the objectives were captured and the British reached Langemarck and half a mile beyond however,  the  Germans pressed the British back from the high ground won earlier in the day.

Charles Lukeman enlisted in 1914 and had been in  France 29 months.  Charles survived a  head wound received in September 1916 during the last phase of the Somme battle.

Charles was born in Reading and educated at Newtown School. Before the war he worked in the Continental Dept. Reading Biscuit Factory.

Charles Lukeman has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial – Panels 105,106 and 162.

Tom Lukeman
Private 41247
5th Royal Berkshire Regiment

 Tom Lukeman joined the Army in June 1917 and went to France in October 1917.  He was reported  missing last seen November 30th 1917.  He was  32 years.

Whilst the Third Battle of Ypres was still raging an offensive further south was being planned, which was later to be known as the Battle of Cambrai.  Taking place on ground so far undisturbed by fighting it would involve the use of tanks in unprecedented numbers the object being the main and support trenches of the Hindenburg line.

The 5th Battalion reached the battle zone in the early hours of  20th November and formed up behind the tanks in a position east of Gonnelieu.  The attack began at 6.10am  and such was the success that by 8.00am the main Hindenburg line had been taken along a six mile stretch.  By the end of the day an advance of  three to four miles had been made.   There were 4000 casualties and 179 tanks lost.

During the following days consolidation of the line took place and it came as something of a shock when the Germans counterattacked on the 30th November with an opening barrage at 7.00am this and a heavy barrage of trench mortars inflicted heavy casualties.  When the front line was breached a withdrawal was ordered.  120 men were missing, among them Tom Lukeman, 120 wounded and 55 killed.

Tom Lukeman is commemorated on the Cambrai memorial to the missing panel 8.

Like his brother Tom was educated at Newtown school and prior to enlisting was employed by Huntley and Palmersin the Sugar Wafer Department. His name appears on that memorial which is held by Reading museum.