The Sims at War

The Sims Brothers

Sunday 28th March 1915: The photograph reproduced above is of the brothers Sims, sons of Mr Alfred and Mrs Laura Sims of Albert-street, Bedford. When the war broke out five brothers were members of or joined His Majesty’s Forces and one, First-Class Stoker Alfred Sims, went down with the “Hawke” in September(1).

The soldier on the left is Private Reginald Sims of the 1st Bedfords, who was shot through the base of the skull in the last great fight at Ypres. The centre figure is of Private James Sims, also of the 1st Bedfords, who, although only 19 years of age, has had good fortune to take part in all the battles that the Bedfords have been engaged in and has not been injured in any way(2). The figure on the left is of sapper Fred Sims of the East Anglian Royal Engineers, who was injured in the face and eye “Somewhere in France”. He went out with the 1st Field Company, and was the second on their list of casualties. He is a member of the Junior Unionist Association concert party, the other brother is sadler Horace Sims of the Bedfordshire Imperial Yeomanry.

Source: Bedfordshire Standard 19th March 1915

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(1) He is commemorated on Chatham Naval Memorial. HMS Hawke was a cruiser, launched in 1891 she was sunk by U-9 off Aberdeen on 15th October 1914, not September as the newspaper article states. U-9 was the u-boat responsible for sinking the Hogue, Aboukir and Cressy on 22nd September off the coast of Holland.

(2) This man is listed as Private Charles James Simms on the Commonwealth War Graves website. He died with the 1st Battalion on 14th March 1916 and is buried at Cabaret-Rouge British Cemetery, Souchez.