Samuel Richard Ward

A Private with 109 Company, Samuel died on 31st of December 1917 at the age of 40. 

Samuel was born at Lowestoft in 1878, a son of Samuel and Louisa Ward of 21 Reeve Street, Lowestoft. He was baptised at Christchurch, Lowestoft, on 4 August 1878. 

Samuel married Clara Maria Mills at the Methodist Free Church, London Road, Lowestoft, on 13 April 1904. By 1911 they were living at 67 Beccles Road, Lowestoft, and by 1916 they had moved to 162 Raglan Street. Samuel worked as a sailmaker. 

Samuel enlisted in the Army at Lowestoft on 15 May 1916. Initially he served with the Royal Fusiliers, number G/40381. and then with the 1st Labour Company (17th Labour Battalion) of the Queens Regiment, number G/17368. He landed at Le Havre on 17 January 1917.

On 13 May 1917 Samuel was transferred to the Labour Corps, number 65290, and he served with 109 Company. No specific detail of what happened to Samuel can be found, other than that he was killed in action on 31 December. His personal effects, a pipe, two pouches, cards and photographs, were sent to Clara. 

Note: Commonwealth War Graves records list Samuel under his Queens Regiment service number.