Kenneth Clifford Samuel

A Private with 9th Bn., Kenneth died on 21st of February 1916 at the age of 20.

Kenneth was born at Holloway, London, on 24 October 1895, the only son of Harry Thomas and Adelaide Samuel. In 1901 his family lived at 7 Grand Parade, Archway Road, Hornsey. By 1911 they were living at 24 Wilton Road, Muswell Hill. In 1916 they lived at 149 Beedell Avenue, Westcliff, and subsequently they lived at 2 Raglan Street, Lowestoft. 

Kenneth was educated at Tollington School, Muswell Hill, London, and subsequently became an Analytical and Metallurgical Chemist. 

Kenneth volunteered and enlisted in the Army, at Warley, on 31 August 1914. He joined the Royal Fusiliers and served with A Company, 9th Battalion, He arrived in France, with the Battalion, on 1 June 1915. In January 1916 Kenneth spent two weeks in hospital suffering from influenza and returned to duty on 27 January. 

On 21 February 1916 the 9th Battalion were in trenches near the Hohenzollern Redoubt. Lieutenant W.V.L. Van Someron wrote to Kenneth's family describing what had happened:

On the day your son was hit we had 'stood down' about half an hour and your son happened to be one of the day sentries when they started sending these grenades over. One can see them coming towards you, and it speaks very high indeed of your son's courage that he stuck at his post, for, as far as I can make out from the other men in the neighbouring fire bay, your son must have seen the bomb falling in the direction of the bay. I was extremely sorry when the affair occurred, for, quite apart from anything else, your son had been in my platoon right from the start of the formation of the battalion.   

Kenneth was wounded in the back and legs by a trench mortar. He died of his wounds at 38th Field Ambulance.