CJ Tiddy Second Father Letter
14 Church Road
Forest Hill
London S.E.
March 12. 1919
Lieut. McC Christison
3rd Battn.
Black Watch
Haddington
Scotland
Dear Sir,
After a long interval I am sending you a short account of my late son’s army career, as well as a few particulars of the other two sons (A.C. & E.H.)
My late son’s full name was Claude Julian Tiddy. He left Dulwich College at the end of the Xmas term 1914. He entered the Inns of Court O.T.C. in 1915 afterwards transferring to Sandhurst, whence he was gazetted to the Dorset Regiment in December 1917.
He went out to France on January 31st 1918 & joined the First Battalion of the Dorsets. In April he was wounded & sent to a hospital at Rouen. In July he rejoined his Regiment, and on August 9th he was sent up to the firing line. After a very hard day’s fighting he was killed instantaneously on the evening of August 11th. He was twenty-one years of age. His Colonel, in a letter to us writes: “He was a most gallant boy, and whilst with the Battalion was always a fine [2] a fine example, and behaved as a man to the time of his death.”
Of my other two sons, – A.C. Tiddy served with General Botha’s forces in German West Africa, and was demobilized with the rest of the Eastern Rifles at the conclusion of that campaign.
E.H. Tiddy (my other son) joined the Inns of Court O.T.C. in 1915 & was gazetted to the 2/21st London Rifles July 1916. Sent to France in August he was shortly afterwards wounded. Recovering from his wounds he rejoined his Regt. & soon after was sent to Salonica where he was stationed for a time – afterwards joining General Allenby’s forces in Egypt. He took part in the great advance of General Allenby’s army into Palestine and was with the troops at the taking of Jerusalem. Almost the day after, while engaged in the taking of the Mount of Olives, he was again wounded. Recovering from this he rejoined the forces & has been with them ever since. He is now being demobilised, and we trust on his way home.
Trusting these items may not prove uninteresting to you, & thanking you for your kind enquiries & sympathy. I remain
Yours sincerely
C.J. Tiddy