Dedicated to the memory of all the men and women of the South Staffordshire area who died during the two World Wars.
Richard John Sargeant was born in the summer of 1885 and baptised at Pattingham on 30th August. He was the son of Richard, a bricklayer's labourer, and Jane. The family lived at Woodhouses, Pattingham. On leaving school, Richard went to work as a farm labourer.
On the outbreak of war, Richard enlisted in December 1914 joining the Army Service Corps but later being transferred to the 15th Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment. It is not known when Richard was transferred: He went to France in September 1915 so he was probably already there when the 15th Hampshires arrived in May 1916. Transfers often seem to have happened when men were discharged from hospital, so it is possible that he was wounded at some stage.
The 15th was part of 41st Division, which fought in the later stages of the Somme (1916), Messines and Ypres (1917) and The Somme and The Lys (1918). Richard was killed in action on 4th September, 1918, during the Advance in Flanders. He appears to have been one of the 35 killed in action when an attack at Vierstraat (3-4 km SW of Ypres) ran into heavy machine-gun fire. He is buried in Voormezeele Enclosure No. 3.
Private Richard John Sargeant, 28219 15th Hampshire Yeomanry Battalion, Hampshire Regiment; formerly T/3/927796 RASC, was awarded The Victory and British War Medals and the 1915 Star. His brothers George, William, John, Edward and Harry Sargeant are named on the Roll of Honour in Pattingham Church.
This memorial has mostly been compiled from official sources. It would be good to be able to expand it with more personal material - memories, stories, photos, etc. If you have any suitable material or any corrections please contact Greg.