1914/15 Star, British War & Victory Medals named LIEUT E M SIDEBOTHAM CHESH R.
WW2 Medal all unnamed as issued - 1939/45, Atlantic & Africa Stars, Defence & War Medals. All contained in a box addressed to Mr P M Glover (Pauline M Cooke married Peter and then remarried a Mr Glover see document). Also enclosed in the box is the compliment slip made out to Temporary Acting Sub Lt Peter Maurice Sidebotham RNVR.
Edward Maurice Sidebotham the Son of the MP of Hyde Joseph Sidebotham. He gained a commission in the 2nd Cheshire Regiment and landed with them in France on 3rd June 1915. He survived the war and stayed in the army till 1920 when he resigned his commission.
After the war he became a diary farmer in Ilfield and then joined the Priesthood and was the local vicar of Kirdford in 1938, prior he was the vicar of St Peters Crawley.
Peter Maurice Sidebotham son of Rev E M Sidebotham and Evelyn Rose Sidebotham nee Budd, born in 1923 and was the eldest Son. When WW2 came Peter joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve as a Sub-Lt. He was assigned to His Majesty Motor Launch 916, a Fairmile B Motor Launch part of the 19th Motor Launch Minesweeping Flotilla in Sept 1944. Just before joining the ship he married Pauline M Cooke in July 1944. Following D Day landings, Allied Forces had progressed through Belgium liberating Antwerp on the 4th Sept 1944. It was vital to open Antwerp up for resupply but the port was guarded by fortified Island and the waters were mined.
On 1st Nov 1944 Operation Infaturate began and the fortified islands were silenced so Operation Calendar began to clear 1700 mines of differing types. On 8th Nov 1944 they were sweeping the waters near Terneuzen when ML916 struck an acoustic mine and the launch was blown into the air. Only two men survived CO Lt McPherson the captain who was on the bridge and his steward. Lt McPherson had both legs amputated. Sadly Sub Lt Peter Maurice Sidebotham was killed in the explosion and his body was never recovered. He was only 21 years old.
