Poppy In memoriam Poppy

Lance Corporal Valentine Sullock Aveline Tardif

 

 

Valentine Sullock Aveline Tardif was born in Barodene Road, Brixton, London SW around 1897, the last of four children of Guernsey-born Inland Revenue civil servant Ernest Mellish Tardif and his wife Frances Adelaide.

Tardif served in the 15th Battalion London Regiment (Prince of Wales' Own Civil Service Rifles), regimental number 2604. He was killed on 15 September 1916 during the Battalion's attack on High Wood, on the first day of the Battle of Flers-Courcelette, aged 19. The Battalion diary for that day reads, in part:

Battalion took part in HIGH WOOD in general attack by IV Army. ... ZERO 5.50 a.m. 'A' Company on right immediately successful and pushed through to Support line. 'B', 'C' and 'D' Companies were cut up by Machine Gun fire & were unsuccessful.

The diary records 14 officers and 250 other ranks killed, wounded or missing that day.

Lance Corporal Tardif is buried at Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, Longueval, Somme, France, grave VI.D.38. His gravestone inscription reads:

2604 LANCE CPL.
V. S. A. TARDIF
P. W. O. CIVIL SERVICE RIFLES
15TH SEPTEMBER 1916 AGE 19

UNTIL

 

Lance Corporal Tardif featured in an episode of the History Channel's series Not Forgotten. I have included him here because we share a surname.

 

 

 

Images Copyright © Phillip Tardif with all rights reserved as set out in this Use of Material policy.