Guernsey Weekly Press of 2 February 1918 is entitled "Brothers in Arms", but is also subtitled "Sacrifices by a St Peter's Family".

It describes how Privates Wilfred and Nico Sarre (age 29 and 27 respectively) were killed in action on 1 December 1917 at Cambrai, whilst Privates John James (age 21) and Peter Sarre (age 19) were taken prisoner on the same day, as was their brother-in-law, Private E. Martel.

All five were members of the RGLI. The article goes on to say that their father, Mr John Sarre, was by this time an inmate of the Country Asylum, and 'had no knowledge of the sacrifices of his sons.' Mrs Nancy Sarre, née Jehan, formerly de la Mare, had been married before, and had another five sons from that marriage, three of whom also fought at Cambrai. Thus at one stage she had 'eight of her sons in khaki at the same time.'

The same newspaper, a week later, contains the transcript of a letter to Mrs Sarre from Captain H.A. Le Bas of the RGLI telling her that Privates Wilfred and Nico Sarre had both been killed instantaneously on 1 December 1917, and had been buried side by side on the same night. However, Nico is now buried in Point du Jour Military Cemetery, (15) while Wilfred has no known grave and is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial at Louverval.

The article goes on to state that Mrs Sarre had also had unofficial news of the death of Private Peter Sarre, while nothing had been heard of Private J.J. Sarre since 1 December. However it was eventually confirmed that Privates Peter and John J Sarre had both been taken prisoner of war at Cambrai. A Private Peter Sarre had been killed in action on 1st December 1917 but he was from another family.

Meanwhile it had been confirmed that Private J.J. Sarre had been taken PoW and was in Minden, Westphalia, where he remained until he returned to Guernsey in December 1918.

The article concludes with 'of the five (brothers), there is only one, Private William Sarre, who remains quite well.' However, a report on 26 January 1918 had already noted that Private William Sarre of the Rocque Poisson had been wounded and admitted to hospital. This is confirmed by Parks (1992) who notes that he was wounded on 22 January 1918, but later returned to the Front.

© Liz Walton 2003 & revised 2017

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