Sidney Leslie Roch-Austin – Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment), 1/2nd Battalion attached 1/4th Battalion, Territorial Force

 Lieutenant Sidney Leslie Roch-Austin – Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment), 1/2^nd Battalion attached 1/4^th Battalion, Territorial Force

Birth and Family Background

William Austin and Alice Roch
marriage certificate
Parish Church of Llanrhidian, Gower

Sidney Leslie Austin was born in 1890 in Swansea, the son of William Austin and Alice Roch, who were married in 1875 at the Parish Church of Llanrhidian, Gower.

1891 Census

At the time of the 1891 Census, the Austin family were living at 8 Ffynone Street, Swansea. William Austin (37), born on the Gower, was employed as a builder, while his Pembrokeshire-born wife Alice (35) managed the household. Their children were Hannah Mary (15); William J. (13); Lillian A. (11); George H. (9); Walter J. (8), all attending school; and Sidney L., aged 11 months.
Also present was a servant, Elizabeth A. Sweeting (14).

1901 Census

William Austin died in December 1900. At the time of the 1901 Census, the family were residing at 6 Ffynone Street, Swansea. Alice Austin (45) was widowed, and her children present were George (20), a butcher; Walter (15), a coal exporter’s junior clerk; Leslie (10); and Fernley (7).

1911 Census

By the 1911 Census, the family had moved to Caeforgan, Calvert Terrace, Swansea. Alice Austin (53) headed the household. Her sons present were Sidney Leslie (20), employed as a colliery company clerk, and Fernleigh Clifford (17), apprenticed to mechanical engineering.
Also resident were three boarders: John Oliver Jones (28); Daniel John Jones (24); and Edward Henry Fielden.

Military Service

During the First World War, Sidney served under the name Sidney Leslie Roch-Austin, adopting his mother’s maiden name. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant with the Duke of Wellington’s (West Riding Regiment), serving with the 1/2^nd Battalion, and was attached to the 1/4^th Battalion, Territorial Force.

Duke of Wellington’s Regiment, 1/4^th Battalion — November 1918

In November 1918, the 1/4^th Battalion was engaged in the final Allied advance on the Western Front. Although the Armistice was imminent, fighting remained dangerous as German forces conducted determined rearguard actions to delay the British advance across northern France.

The battalion took part in rapid advances, patrols, and the consolidation of newly captured villages and defensive positions. Unlike the static trench warfare of earlier years, operations were often fluid and fast-moving, yet still deadly. Machine-gun fire, snipers, and artillery shelling continued to inflict casualties, particularly during patrols and consolidation work.

Territorial Force units such as the 1/4^th Duke of Wellington’s Regiment provided experienced leadership during these advances. Officers were frequently required to lead patrols, direct platoons in village fighting, and organise defences immediately after capture, often under fire and with little rest. Many casualties in these final days resulted from isolated engagements rather than set-piece battles.

It was during this period of continued danger, just days before the Armistice, that Lieutenant Sidney Leslie Roch-Austin sustained the wounds from which he later died.

Death and Burial

Sidney Leslie Roch-Austin died of wounds on 4^th November 1918, only a week before the end of hostilities. He is buried at Ruesnes Communal Cemetery, Nord, France.

His death underscores the tragic reality that lives continued to be lost until the very final days of the First World War, even as peace was within reach