Sidney was born on 17 March 1916 in Prestwich, Lancashire to Harry and Rebecca nee Black and he had an older brother Reuben who died aged two in 1914 and a younger brother Bernard. Their grandfather Simon and father Harry were both master butchers and Bernard also worked in the family business. Sidney trained as an electrician and radio engineer and worked for the Post Office as a wireless operator. At the outbreak of war Sidney joined the Merchant Navy as a third radio operator.

Sidney was onboard the S.S. Empire Jaguar which was travelling from Cardiff to Philadelphia with a cargo of ballast and thirty-seven crew. At 01.32 hours on 9 December 1940 the ship, a straggler from convoy OB-252 was torpedoed and sunk by U-103 296 miles from Slyne Head off the coast of Galway, Ireland. There were no survivors.