Simon Chilcott's Story

Family

Simon was born in 1880 to Clement and Elizabeth (Nee Welsh) Chilcott at Stoke Courcy, Bridgewater, Somerset

Simon joined the army in the 1890s but by 1898 he was discharged, his army records state “Discharged having been convicted by the civil power of an offence committed before enlistment authority of Davenport” presumably he spent some time after that in prison.

By 1902 he had re-joined the army, he married Annie Thorne in 1904 in Somerset and the couple went on to have three children. It’s not clear when the family arrived in Newport and Simon started to work at the Orb.

Military

Simon joined the army once again between August – December 1914 because his name appears in the Lysaght Roll of Honour book that was published in December 1914. The 2nd South Wales Borderers set sail on 17th March from Avonmouth sailing to Malta via Alexandria then onto Murdros in April. On 25th April 1915 they landed at Cape Helles, Gallipoli.

In June the 2nd South Wales Borderers were involved in heavy fighting around Gully Ravine. According to the war diary

“At 6pm on 27th June the battalion had taken over the front-line trenches and were preparing for an assault. The preliminary bombardment was due to start at 9am the next day, but due to the front-line trenches being so close together the Borderers were moved back for fear that we would bomb our own men. Shortly before zero hour the troops were once more taken up to the front-line trenches. The Borderers attacked the Boomerang fifteen minutes before the main assault was to begin and made good progress.
Casualties by the end of the 27th were 160. Heavy fighting did not stop and on 28th June the Turks made determined attempts to break through, again and again they charged towards the British trenches only to be pushed back by bayonet charges”

It was at sometime during the 28th June that Simon Chilcott was killed in action, he was 35. Annie and his children received £3.00 back pay and war gratuity.