I hope my research is correct, although there is a query on the father of Sydney T. Rogers, (see below).   Sydney’s mother, Mabel was to suffer losing two husbands.

Sydney T. Rogers’s father is shown on the CWGC Database as Sydney William, but on the others, Censuses and Registration Documents, i.e., marriage, death, he was known as Sydney Dick Rogers, and also, I have found no Mabel Catherine, just Mabel on the censuses and the marriage documents.   Although as one was a Civil Marriage, the purchase of this marriage certificate would be the only way to confirm/deny.  Neither have I been able to find any indication that Sydney T. Rogers had a second Christian name, only Sydney.

I believe that Mabel Ashton was to marry John Shaw Brierley in a Civil Ceremony in Ashton under Lyne, Cheshire in 1890 (Tameside RM/72/47).   They are seen on the 1891 census living at 3, Shaw St., Dukinfield, Cheshire.   Head of the household was John S. Brierley, 22 a Steam Engine Maker (Driller) who had been born in Stalybridge, Cheshire, Mabel, his wife, age 20 was a Felt Hat Trimmer who had been born in Newport, Monmouthshire.

Sadly, John Shaw BRIERLEY died in the December quarter of 1900 in the Chester Registration District age 31 years (Chester Vol. 8a Page 254).

I believe that after the family moved to Shotton, John Shaw Brierley sadly died in the December Quarter of 1900 and his death is registered in Chester, he was 31 years of age (Chester Vol. 8a Page 254).   His burial was on the 17^th of November 1900 at Hawarden.

So, by the 1901 census, which was taken on the 31^st of March 1901, Mabel was a widow for the first time and living with her family at Chester Road, Shotton, she was now age 30 and had to take in boarders to make ends meet.   Her children Lizzie, 8, had been born in Dukinfield, Harry, 6 had been born in Staley (sic) Bridge, Cheshire, and William, 2 had been born in Shotton.   The Boarders were Sydney D. Rogers, 28, single, a Joiner (Carp.) who had been born in Caerlon, Monmouthshire.   Benjamin Plant, Thomas Morris and William Smith were the other boarders.

I believe that this is how Sydney Dick Rogers & Mabel Brierley met as they went on to marry in the September quarter of 1901 (Chester Vol 8a Page 770) on the 17^th of August 1901, at St. Deniol’s Church, Hawarden.   Sydney Dick Rogers was 29, a bachelor and Joiner, his abode was Shotton, and his father was Edward Rogers, Ironworker.   Mabel Brierley was 30, a Widow, whose abode was Shotton, and her father was Samuel Ashton, Driller.   Their witnesses were: George Bingham Andrew and Sarah Ann Stockdale.

They appear on the 1911 census living at 20 Wellington Street, Shotton, Flintshire (5 rooms), Sydney Dick Rogers, 38 now a joiner in the Galvanized Sheet Works, and Mabel Rogers, 40, tells us that they had been married for 10 years and 2 children had been born to them, and were still living.   The family was made up of Stepdaughter Lizzie Brierley, 18 and single, Stepsons Harry Brierley, 16, a Steel Worker (Gal. Sheet Works) and William Brierley, 12.  Daughters Maud Rogers, 9 and Olive Rogers, 4 had both been born in Shotton.  There were 2 Lodgers, making up the household.

Sydney Rogers (Jnr.) was born on the 27^th of February 1912 and Baptised at St. Ethelwold’s Church, Shotton, on the 14^th of March the same year.   Only baptised with the name Sydney.

Again, fate struck a blow for Mabel and her family as Sydney Dick Rogers was to die in 1916 (Flintshire (Mold)HAW/10A/38), after the birth of his son Sydney Rogers, circa 1912, so young Sydney would hardly know his namesake as he would have been only about 4 years of age when his father died.

Sydney’s mother, Mabel, married again to Thomas Kyte on the 26th of December 1919 at St. Deniol’s Church.   Thomas was 51, a widower and a Packer, his address is 20, Wellington Street, his father was James Kyte, Deceased.   Mabel Rogers was 48, a widow and her address was Shotton.    Her father was Samuel Ashton, Ironworker.   Their witnesses were Ellen Elizbeth Jones, who signed with her mark (X) and Charles Francis James Jones.

We do see Sydney again, on the 1921 census.   He is living with his mother Mabel and stepfather Thomas Kyte, at 20, Wellington Street, Shotton.   Thomas Kyte was 53 years and 3 months old; he had been born in Willenhall, Cheshire and he was a Packer at John Summers & Sons, Hawarden Bridge Steelworks, but was “Out of Work.”   Mabel Kyte was now 50 years and 3 months old and doing “Home Duties.”    William Brierley, stepson to Thomas was 25 years old and was working at H.M. Stores.   Olive Rogers was 14 years and 11 months old, and Sydney Rogers was 9 years and 4 months old, both Stepchildren to Thomas.   There were two more in the household, Maud Mathieson, Stepdaughter to Thomas, she was married and 19 years and 6 months old, her husband, James Mathieson was 22 years and 9 months old, born in Aberdeen Aberdeenshire, he was a Steelworks Labourer and was also “Out of Work.”    Many men were out of work because of the Miners’ Strike.

We do not see Sydney again, until he marries Margaret Andrews in 1936 in a Civil Ceremony registered in Holywell, (Flintshire (Mold) HOL/60/59), the Certificate would have to be purchased to confirm/deny.

The National Register was taken on the 29^th of September 1939 and Sydney & Margaret are seen living at 20 Wellington Avenue* #.   Sydney’s date of birth is given as the 27^th of February 1912 and he was a Packers Feeder Steel Works Heavy Worker, Margaret’s date of birth was the 30^th of March 1911, and she was described, as most married women who did not have a job on this Register, as doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties.”  It is also on this source that Margaret’s name of Rogers was crossed out and the name Stenner was written and a date of the 18^th of August 1947.   I believe that she married Victor Albert Stenner, (Flintshire (Mold) HOL/68/118) after Sydney had been killed in 1944.

*Could be Wellington St, Shotton, was originally Wellington Avenue.

#Lived in the same street as Stephen Edward Roberts’s uncle Stephen E. Roberts (Stephen Edward Roberts is also on the War Memorial, please click on the link to read his story.)

I find Mabel Kyte on the 1939 National Register, taken on the 29^th of September 1939, living with her married daughter Olive at “Keolly Dene,” Hawarden.   This source gives dates of birth.   Thomas L. Pike had been born on the 18^th of July 1903 and was a Weighbridge Clerk at the Steelworks.   Olive Pike had been born on the 10^th of July 1906 and was a Fish & Chip Fryer (Dealer).   Mabel Kyte had been born on the 1^st of February 1871 and was doing “Unpaid Domestic Duties.”   There were 2 redacted or closed entries on the Register.

I also found Thomas Kyte living in a Caravan off Chemistry Lane, Pentre, on the same National Register, his birth date was the 19^th of May 1868, and he was retired.   This Register was taken on the 29^th of September 1939, and it could have been that Mabel was visiting Olive and her family.   I don’t know.

I do not know when Sydney was conscripted or if he enlisted, in any case it was after the 29^th of September as he is on that still working at John Summers & Sons.   He was to find himself on H.M.S. Boadicea (H65) and involved in the Normandy Landings.

The Registers of Reports of Deaths: Naval Ratings gives his cause of death as -2- Missing, death on War Service Presumed.

https://uboat.net/allies/warships/ship/4354.html

HMS BOADICEA (H65)

On 13 June 1944 HMS Boadicea (Lt.Cdr. Frederick William Hawkins, RN) was sunk by German aircraft 12 miles south-west of Portland Bill in position 50º26’N, 02º34’W while supporting the Normandy landings.

 [+1944]

https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?369

History Jan Lettens 29/01/2019

British destroyer; 1930; Hawthorn Leslie & Co; 1.360 tons; 323x32x12; 34.000 shp; 35 knots; turbine engines; 3-drum boilers; three ´.7 in guns; one 3 in A.A., six smaller ; 4 T.T. The destroyer Boadicea, Lt.Cdr.F.W. Hawkins, was torpedoed in an air raid off Portland, on June 13th, 1944. Nine officers, including Lt.Cdr. Hawkins and 166 ratings were killed and one officer wounded.

Allen Tony 09/09/2007 According to British Naval Records this vessel was sunk by Aircraft Torpedo and not by a submarine. Torpedoed by German Ju.88 torpedo bombers. ref. used: British Warship Losses WW1

Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?369

https://www.wrecksite.eu/peopleView.aspx?aZxC14lIJbHtHZJqP4Wuhw==

174 Crew

137. ROGERS, SYDNEY (32), Able Seaman (no. C/JX 299186), HMS Boadicea, Royal Navy, †13/06/1944, Son of Sydney William and Mabel Catherine Rogers; husband of Margaret Rogers, of Shotton, Flintshire, Memorial: Chatham Naval Memorial Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?369

To give you an idea of the aircraft, please read http://www.aviation-history.com/junkers/ju88.html

This excerpt was taken from it, with thanks to the website :-

The Ju 88G replaced the C and R on the production lines and was the most effective German night-fighter. It had extended wingtips and rectangular tail surfaces. It was powered by two BMW 801D engines and armed with four 20mm MG151/20 cannon in the ventral gondola. Two more cannons were usually placed in the dorsal position, firing diagonally upwards and forward, which was known as Schräge Musik. Schräge Musik was the name for upward-firing autocannons mounted in night fighter aircraft and attacked Allied bombers from below and aft of the bomber’s field of view. It was extremely effective against British Lancasters because they lacked ventral guns.

Exactly 1 month later this happened: –

The Ju 88G-6 was powered with Jumo 213 engines and entered service in the late 1944. On July 13, 1944, a Ju 88G-1 landed on a RAF base, after a navigation error, and gave away all the secrets of its Lichtenstein SN-2 radar, and Flensburg and Naxos radar detectors.

 Sadly, Mabel Kyte (Kite) was to die in the December quarter of 1940, so was spared suffering the loss of Sydney after her other bereavements.   I found a burial for a Thomas Kite who died in December 1944. And was buried on the 23^rd of December, according to the Church Parsih Registers for St. Asaph.   His address was given as Cartrefle.   I do not know for certain if this is “our” Thomas Kite.

Sydney was loved and sadly missed by his large family, and his name was added by his family to the War Memorial after the original one was unveiled, so his name was added along with 4 others later at the bottom.   It was to make sure that he would be remembered.   I believe that he had a son who was born in the December quarter of 1938.

Sydeny is also remembered on the BRITISH NORMANDY MEMORIAL and when my 2 daughters & I went to the Normandy Beaches at the end of September 2023, we placed a wreath on behalf of the people and Town Council of Connah’s Quay and Shotton at the Memorial, with our thanks for his sacrifice.

https://www.britishnormandymemorial.org/roll-of-honour/search-detail/?first_name=&initials=&surname=&death_date_day=13&death_date_month=6&nmt_force=&regiment=&unit=&sort=0&search_within=0&search=Search&c=17&nmtid=27140&t=b

SYDNEY ROGERS

Royal Navy – Able Seaman

Royal Navy

HMS Boadicea

DIED
13 June 1944

AGE
32

SERVICE NO.
C/JX 299186

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

2nd Battalion, Lincolnshire Regiment was part of 3rd Infantry Division and landed on Sword Beach in the middle of D-Day. It was part of the division’s reserve brigade. Rather than seizing the coastal area, the battalion had to advance inland with the aim of reaching the city of Caen.

After overcoming the German defences on the western side of Sword Beach, the battalion advanced inland. For the rest of the Battle of Normandy it continued serving with 3rd Infantry Division. During the remainder of June 1944 it fought on the approaches to Caen, and after that to the south of the city.

In late July the division took part in fighting to the east of Caen (Operation Goodwood). For much of August the division was at the west end of the British front, through to the end of the fighting in Normandy.

MEMORIAL LOCATION

Column 52