Question of the Day - the Steadies?

[Nick Colley]

Folks, I have a letter (no cover, sadly) from the commanding officer of D Company, Hood Battalion, RND, from the Western Front in the summer of 1917. He writes (among other things, about which I hope to tell you in a future Journal) that '..... there is a general feeling that the war will soon be over  with the Boche badly beaten. Personally, one more attack with the Steadies will satisfy me.'

Presumably 'the Steadies' is a nickname. Can anyone confirm that? If so, what - or which - unit? The Hood Battalion, I would guess, but that is MERELY a guess.

Thanks a lot!
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[Alan Baker]

I have found a reference to this nickname referring to the Hood Battalion

https://timedetectives.blog/tag/royal-naval-division/

[Frank Schofield]

Nick

Is the officer named??

Frank

[Nick Colley]

Alan, that's great, that seems to work - for me, at least. Many thanks.

Frank, no - he signs himself as 'Sid', and he is writing to his brother, Gordon......

It really is a most illuminating letter, most indiscreet, with details of life on the Western Front that are most absorbing.

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[Frank Schofield]

Nick

May 1917 Navy List, found a Sydney H. Fish, MC, Lieut, RNVR listed under the Hood Btn
Did he have a brother Gordon, that's one for Ancestry
In the book THE HOOD BATTALION (L. Sellers, 1995) he is mentioned 5 times, the last as a Lt/Cdr c/o of the Battalion
Killed in Action 25th August 1918

Frank

[Nick Colley]

Frank that's most promising. Many thanks. He signs himself as 'Sid', rather than 'Syd', but I'm not inclined to give that much significance. As for a 'Gordon Fish', well, hopefully Alan will read this and allow his curiosity to lead him into Ancestry for us.  :)

Meanwhile, I'll crack on and write it up for the Journal. You and Alan will, of course, receive prominent credits.

Thanks again

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[Alan Baker]

I have found him on Ancestry, where almost every record gives his first name as "Sidney". On the 1911 Census, he was spelt similarly but his entry in the Baptism Register of the Parish of Salesbury, Lancashire, spells his name with a "Y".

According to the 1911 Census, he had two older brothers, Harold Lund and James Alex Gordon who was 7 years older than Sidney (who was born in 1894). JAG Fish served in the Royal Marine Artillery from Feb 1916 and survived the war, reaching the rank of Acting Bombadier.

Harold L Fish also served in the RMA, from March 1916 and also survived the war. He named his son Sydney, born 1922

[Nick Colley]

Many thanks, Alan, I'll weave that into the narrative round the letter. Much appreciated.

chrs
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