G/7895 Pte Alfred Sadler 9 Sussex KiA 28.9.15

[Guest Pete Wood]

Remembering Today:

Pte Alfred SADLER, G/7895 9 Bn, Royal Sussex Regt, who died aged 19 on 28.09.15. Loos Memorial, France

Born and enlisted in Colchester

Killed in Action

Name: SADLER, ALFRED

Initials: A

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment: Royal Sussex Regiment

Unit Text: 9th Bn.

Age: 19

Date of Death: 28/09/1915

Service No: G/7895

Additional information: Son of Mr. S. R. W. and Mrs. Z. H. Sadler, of 72, Winchester Rd., Colchester.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 69 to 73

Cemetery: LOOS MEMORIAL

The Loos Memorial forms the side and back of Dud Corner Cemetery, and commemorates over 20,000 officers and men who have no known grave, who fell in the area from the River Lys to the old southern boundary of the First Army, east and west of Grenay. Loos-en-Gohelle is a village 5 kilometres north-west of Lens, and Dud Corner Cemetery is located about 1 kilometre west of the village, to the north-east of the N43 the main Lens to Bethune road. Dud Corner Cemetery stands almost on the site of a German strong point, the Lens Road Redoubt, captured by the 15th (Scottish) Division on the first day of the battle. The name "Dud Corner" is believed to be due to the large number of unexploded enemy shells found in the neighbourhood after the Armistice. On either side of the cemetery is a wall 15 feet high, to which are fixed tablets on which are carved the names of those commemorated. At the back are four small circular courts, open to the sky, in which the lines of tablets are continued, and between these courts are three semicircular walls or apses, two of which carry tablets, while on the centre apse is erected the Cross of Sacrifice.

No. of Identified Casualties: 20596

[Guest Pete Wood]

Alfred Sadler was one of 35 OR's killed this day. The batallion had first gone into action three days earlier and, to date, had suffered over 100 casualties.