Samuel Turner

A Private with the 9th Battalion, Samuel died on 20th of November 1917 at the age of 37. 

Samuel was born at Pakefield on 6 January 1880, a son of Robert and Susannah (Annie) Turner.  In 1881 his family lived at Pakefield Street, Kirkley. From 15 March 1887 Samuel attended Cunningham Infants School. He then Kirkley Boys School, and, between 15 December 1891 and 6 September 1892 was a pupil at Cunnigham Mixed School. 

In 1891 his family lived at 24 Pakefield Street, Kirkley, and by 1901 at Beach Street, Carlton Colville, and Samuel was a mariner.  

On 19 July 1902 Samuel married Catherine Louisa Beck at Saint Peter’s Church, Kirkley. Samuel was a fisherman and they both lived at Kirkley. By 1911 their home was at 2 A, Christie House, Rock Estate, Oulton Broad. In 1911 Samuel was the fourth hand on the trawler Benefactor LT 155 at Lowestoft.

On 1919 Catherine married William Day and they lived at 22 Factory Street.

Samuel volunteered and enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft. He joined the Suffolk Regiment, service number 16229. He joined the 9th Battalion and arrived in France with his battalion on 30 August 1915.

On 19 November 1917 the 9th Battalion moved into assembly positions in readiness for an attack, with tanks, on the Hindenburg Line, north of Beauchamp, to be made the next day. Early on the 20th the battalion formed up ‘in tank formation’ immediately to the rear of the two tanks sections working with them. The tanks were to the rear of the British support line between Argyle Road and Barricade Road. Assembly was completed by 1 a.m. and the men slept in their positions. The tanks and the men moved forward at 6.10 a.m. and the supporting barrage commenced at 6.20 a.m. The men moved with the tanks, through the British wire and within 200 yards of Plush Trench. Soon afterwards two tanks were put out of action, and other lost direction. D Company was able to pass through the Hindenburg Line wire. The enemy’s retaliatory barrage was weak, but concentrated and a portion of D Company was caught in this fire and sustained several casualties. A Company dealt with Plush Trench and the rest of the battalion, and the remaining tanks, passed through to attack the main Hindenburg Line. 

At 9.05 a.m. it was reported that the battalion’s objective had been captured and that the enemy resistance had been feeble and casualties’ light. Half of C Company then moved with the tanks toward Marcoing. They were joined by other elements of the battalion and attacked Marcoing where the enemy offered little resistance. The elements of the battalion that had moved forward to Marcoing rejoined the rest of the battalion, in the Hindenburg Line front system, about 3.50 p.m. During the day the battalion had captured about 150 prisoners, including three officers, and captured three machine guns. 

The battalion’s casualties were:
Officers: three wounded
Other ranks: 8 killed, 56 wounded

Samuel was killed in action on 20 November. 

Samuel’s brother-in-law, Samuel Martin, died in the loss of the trawler Labrador in 1915.