John Smith's Family Tree Website

Dolt/Dolton family

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Part 4: Sydney Dolton (1889 - 1978)

Sydney Dolton (1889 - 1978) was the eldest son of Henry 'Harry' Dolton and Rebecca Walsh. He was born 31 May 1889 in Salisbury Road, Barnet (now a London borough). He was baptised 18 August 1889 and spent his early years moving around the northern parts of London and then to Romford, Essex, likely due to his father’s itinerant work.

At some point when Sydney was in his teenage years, Harry left his family. As chief breadwinner for the family, there was a great responsibility weighing on Sydney but he was a very principled and reliable person. His first job was delivering telegrams but he left because he believed the system of payment was unfair (payment was based on the number of deliveries and his boss seemed to send him on long distance deliveries, thereby reducing how many he could deliver!).

By 21, Sydney was working as a stockbroker’s clerk. He was considered eligible to become an officer during World War I and was made a temporary Second Lieutenant 15 July 1917 with the Labour Corps. At the start of the war, the British Army had no organised means of providing labour to build and repair transport links etc… French civilians had been the initial source but then as the war progressed, there were fewer available and a greater need for labour. British labourers started being sent in 1915-1916 and in early 1917, the Labour Corp was formed. Sydney initially stayed in England and then in January 1918 he was sent to France. The men of the Labour Corps, besides building and repairing roads and railways, had to move ammunition, load and unload ships and trains, and bury the dead.

At first those in the Labour Corps were considered non-combatants but as they often had to work under heavy fire on the front line that changed. While Sydney was in France, their status changed to combatant and some men were armed and ended up fighting as soldiers when needed. Most were unarmed and they faced the constant shelling and danger as everyone else: 2,300 were killed or injured.

Before going to France, Sydney married Lydia Ella Pugh (more information about her appears in the Pugh section). They married 27 December 1917 in Beddington Parish Church, Surrey. Apparently, when Sydney first met Lydia, he did not want to reveal his first name so he introduced himself as ‘Bobby’. Lydia always called him ‘Bobby’ after that!

After the war, Sydney and Lydia moved to Cheam, Surrey and Sydney had his own business. When World War II was declared, Sydney returned to the army as a Captain with the Corps of Royal Engineers. Sydney’s World War II record is less well-known as he was part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), an organisation which conducted espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance work. He was based in Halifax, Yorkshire, for some of the time, working with others from various regiments. Sometime between 1943 and 1945, he was on operational service in Italy, but again his exact role is unknown. He was made a temporary Major and made an honorary Major after the war ended.

Sydney and Lydia had no children of their own but adopted a daughter. They later moved back to Surrey where Sydney found post-war work in the banking sector. They subsequently moved to Ewell. Lydia died in 1963 and Sydney stayed in Ewell and eventually retired. He died 03 March 1978, aged 88.

Sydney Dolton's passport photo, 1932

Footnotes