Born in the Gloucester district to John and Elizabeth (nee Hazelwood) Samuel (Sam) was the eldest of 3 children.
Despite an earlier enlistment application being rejected, Sam re-applied and on the 26th of June 1917 a further enlistment application with the 10th Reinforcements, 53 Battalion was successful. He was 26 years and 4 months old and gave his next of kin as his father of Nana Glen via Grafton, NSW.
Embarking at Sydney aboard the HMAT (A28) Miltiades on the 2nd of August 1917 the 10th Reinforcements were bound for the U.K. Sam did spend the period 23rd to the 26th of August in the ship’s hospital with Influenza. On the 21st of September he was charged with being AWL from 2:15pm until 9:45pm on the 20th of September at Halifax and awarded forfeiture of 1 day’s pay, for some reason totalling 2 days’ pay. The 10th Reinforcements disembarked Glasgow on the 2nd of October 17 and marched in to the 14th Training Battalion, Hurdcott the next day.
On the 1st of November he was again charged with ‘Neglect to obey’ in that he was in Wilton at 10:30am on the 30th of October without a pass and was awarded 7 days FP and also at Cadford on the 16th of November being absent from CO’s Parade between 8:15am and 10:00am and ‘Giving the wrong name’ was awarded 28 days FP. On the 19th again being absent from parade was awarded 2 days forfeiture of pay, to be concurrently with the previous 28 days.
During the previous year, on 7 June 1917, the 35th Battalion took part in the fighting around Messines. During the First Battle of Passchendaele the battalion was committed to the attack on 12 October and suffered heavy casualties as the attack foundered in the mud of the rain-soaked battlefield. Of the 508 men that had been fit at the start, only 90 remained at the end. As a result of these losses, the battalion was withdrawn from the front line and placed in reserve for the next five months as they were brought back up to strength. It was during this period on the 12th of February 1918 proceeded overseas from Codford via Southampton arriving at ATDB Rouelles the next day. On the 14th he marched out to the front to be taken on strength with the 35th Battalion on the 19th.
The German spring offensive in early 1918 saw them gain a considerable amount of ground as the Allies were forced back. During this time, the 35th Battalion was dispatched to defend the town of Amiens, taking up positions around Villers-Bretonneux. As the German onslaught began to run out of steam, the Australians launched a counterattack at Hangard Wood on 30 March 1918. On 4 April, the Germans made another attempt at taking Villers-Bretonneux, and the 35th Battalion was heavily engaged in turning this back. Casualties during this time were heavy, consisting of an estimated 70 per cent of the battalion’s strength.
On the 5th of April he was reported missing in action and later in the day the report was revised to ‘Killed in Action’. A report dated 7th of April 1920 confirmed he was buried 1 ½ miles north of Villiers-Bretonneux and 1 ½ miles South West of Corbie.
Correspondece between Sam’s father and Army Records, Melbourne over confusion with Sam’s circumstances due to him leaving Australia with the 53rd Battalion and telegrams regarding his death with the 35 Battalion took some time to resolve. It seems his only personal effects were his Identity discs which were returned to John.
