From the Burnt Records, Peter Inns & Kay Collins

Sidney Edwin Cave, a shoe hand born at Northampton, married Grace Cowley on 24th March 1913 and they lived at 15 Church Street, Rushden. He enlisted at Kettering on 3rd June 1916 in the 4th Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment as a reserve, and was 5' 5½" tall, weighed 124 pounds, his chest was 34½" (2½" expansion) and he was of good physical development, and declared himself of the Baptist faith. He had one sister Elsie.

He was called up for service on 26th January 1917 and transferred to the Machine Gun Corps on 26th April 1917. After training he was sent to France with the Expeditionary Force on 22nd June 1917 where he joined the 2nd Battalion Machine Gun Corps at Camiers. He was made up to Lance Corporal in January 1918 and was killed in action on 28th March 1918.

Rushden Soldiers Remembered - The Church Street District Roll of Honour - Letters of Gratitude

The committee of the Church street, John street and Alfred street Roll of Honour have sent a postal order for 3s to each of the lads whose names are inscribed thereon, and the secretary, Mrs T Nichols, has received many letters of appreciation from the recipients. The following are extracts from the letters received: Pte S E Cave, MGC: says he had heard from his wife how nicely the shrine was decorated with flowers.

Rushden's Casulaty List Men Killed, Wounded and Gassed In the Great German Offensive

We regret to report that Mrs Grace Cave, daughter of Mr and Mrs Cowley, of 17 Church-street, Rushden, has received official news of the death in action on March 28th of her husband, Lance-Corpl Sidney Edwin Cave, of the Machine Gun Corps. A comrade writes that he received a bullet wound in the head and passed way almost instantaneously, suffering very little pain. The late Lance-Corpl Cave, who was 26 years of age, joined the colours in January, 1917, and up to the time he met his death had been in France ten months. He formerly worked for Messrs. Crick and Patenall, boot manufacturers, Rushden, and took an active interest in church work, having been a Sunday School teacher at the Rushden Wellingborough-road Mission for a number of years. Mrs Cave desires to express her sincere thanks to all those kind friends who have written condoling with her in her grievous loss.