(1885-1918)
Occupation: Bushman
Rank: Trooper
ServiceNumber: 7/782
Force: NZEF
Family
Born 10 February 1885, second son of Thomas Mark Skilton and Florence Octavia (nee Neal).
He was one of six brothers and a sister. All his brothers enlisted.
He was schooled at Puramahoi and Collingwood. He played seven-a-side football.
Pre-war
Sid worked for Prouse and Saunders at Mangarakau as a bushman. This was a thriving community, based around flax and timber milling.
1914
20 October: Sid enlisted at Cape Foulwind. Attestation took place on 27 October at Trentham as a trooper in Canterbury Mounted Rifles.
By December he had joined the 2nd Reinforcements and been transported from Wellington to Alexandria .
1915
Gallipoli
25 April: There had been a night-time landing by mainly Australian and NZ troops who dug in at Walkers Ridge. They had a very tough time; Sid was to fight here for many weeks.
18 July: He received gunshot wounds to his left elbow, fracturing the upper end of the radius and ulna and was evacuated from Walkers Ridge to the Hospital Ship Garcon, heading for Malta where he was admitted to the Floriana Hospital.
8 August: Sid embarked from Malta to England aboard HS Letitia and was admitted to Mt Vernon Military Hospital, Hampstead.
A medical board recommended him for light duties.
1916
12 February: He was declared unfit for service due to complete incapacity and was discharged.
Sid embarked on the S S Ruahine for Dunedin and on to Nelson where he was admitted to Nelson Hospital feeling very weak. To add to his problems, he was diagnosed with diabetes. Discharged from Nelson, he travelled to Wellington (making his own transport arrangements) to receive further treatment on his arm and convalescing at Lowry Bay, Wellington, and then back home to Onekaka for the next three years.
1918
Sidney died 11 August 1918 in Nelson from wounds, disease and the effects of war aged 33. He was thus recorded as an official war casualty. He was given a full military funeral service and is interred in Collingwood Cemetery.
Served: NZ 48 days Foreign 1 year 23 days.
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal, 1914 Star and Gallipoli Medallion.