Private 7856 Samuel Sherwood

 
Photographs from records of Wakefield Prison admissions. Photograph on right hand side shows Samuel when 12 years old.

Killed in Action Mediterranean on Thursday, 19th August 1915, age 31.
Commemorated on Panel 33 to 35 of Helles Memorial, Turkey.

8th Bn., Northumberland Fusiliers. 34th Brigade of 11th Division.

Husband of Mrs Emma Sherwood, 99 Nicholson Street, Castleford, Yorkshire.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Castleford, Yorks, Resident: Castleford, Yorks.

First landed Balkans, 10th July 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial, but commemorated on the Men of Castleford Memorial, British Legion Club, Castleford.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/685343/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Samuel Sherwood registered September quarter 1884 in Dudley, actually he was born on 18th July 1884.

1901 Census
21 Drivers Row, Castleford, Yorkshire.
Samuel Sherwood (44, Coal Hewer, born Tipton), his wife Mary Ann (41, born Tipton), and their 6 children: Samuel (16, General Labourer at Pit Top, born Tipton), Mary (13, born Castleford), William (10, born Castleford), Arthur (7, born Castleford), Edith Ellen (3, born Castleford), and James Thomas (4 months, born Castleford).

1911 Census
2 Herbert Street, off Temple Street, Castleford, Yorkshire.
Boarding with Webster and Ruth Picken and their 4 children were: Samuel Sherwood (26, Coal Miner - Hewer, born Tipton), his wife Emma (22, born Hunsworth, Yorkshire), and their 2 children: Gladys (2, born Castleford on 6th April 1908), and Herbert (1, born Castleford on 6th March 1910). Samuel and Emma had 2 further children: Mary Ann (born Castleford on 25th April 1912) and Arthur (born Castleford on 30th January 1914).

Samuel and Emma celebrated the birth of their 4th child by getting married on 16th May 1914 in Castleford.

Personal Data

Samuel's connection with Tipton was short-lived. He was born in the town in 1884, but within 4 years the family were living in Castleford when his sister Mary was born in 1888, and where he still lived at the time of his enlistment.

Samuel appeared in court on many occasions from childhood through to the time of his enlistment, frequently resulting in prison sentences. His first brush with the law was in February 1894 when just 9 years old, he was charged with stealing cigarettes and was bound over as a first-time offender.

In January 1897, when 12 years old, Samuel was tried for stealing 1 pound of tobacco, there had also been several complaints about him pilfering from shops. His records show that his reading and writing were ‘good’, but that he had kept ‘loose company’. At 12 years of age, he already had an anchor tattooed on his left forearm.

He received a harsh sentence, 14 days in prison with Hard Labour, and then to a Reformatory School until he was 16 years old. When released from Wakefield Prison he was sent to Calder Farm Reformatory in Mirfield near Huddersfield. Calder Farm taught farming, gardening and joinery in addition to conventional schooling in the hope of providing the basis for a worthwhile working life. Samuel seemed to have good memories of his time at Calder Farm as he visited a couple of times after his release.

However, Samuel was not reformed. In May 1905 he received 14 days imprisonment for ‘gaming’. He was 20 years and 10 months old, 5 feet 9 inches tall, brown hair and employed as a miner. Just a few months later, in July 1905, he received a further 21 days for ‘abusive language’.

Short periods of imprisonment became a regular feature of Samuel’s life. In November 1908 he was given 14 days for ‘gaming’, in May 1909 14 days with Hard Labour for ‘Assault and Offensive Language’, in November 1910 21 days for 3 instances of ‘Debt’, in August 1912 1 month with Labour for ‘gaming’, in June 1913 8 days for 2 instances of ‘Debt’, and finally in January 1914 a sentence of 7 days imprisonment for being ‘drunk’.

After Samuel's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £1/16/5d (1 pound, 16 shillings and 5 pence); this was paid to his widow Emma, in April 1916. His War Gratuity of £3/0/0d was also paid to Emma in August 1919; the value of the Gratuity shows that Samuel had enlisted within the 12 months prior to his death.

Samuel's widow, Emma, was awarded a Widow's Pension of £1/2/6d (1 pound, 2 shillings and 6 pence) per week from 22nd May 1916 for herself and her 4 children. Her address at this time was 99 Nicholson Street, Castleford.

Action resulting in his death

The initial Gallipoli landings in April 1915 at Anzac and Helles resulted in large casualty lists and little progress. To re-start the campaign a further landing was planned, the aim was to capture the Sari Bair Ridge which overlooked the Anzac landing. The landing was to be at Suvla Bay, five miles north of Anzac.

The 8th Northumberland Fusiliers (8/NF) landed at Suvla Bay late on the night of 6 August, under Turkish shrapnel and rifle fire. Over the next 24 hours the troops failed to make any real progress due to the fierce Turkish resistance and lack of drive from the British Commander, Stopford. On 10th August the 8/NF supported an attack on the Anafarta Spur, but this ended with no progress. For the next week they alternated between holding the line and being in divisional reserve; even in reserve they were in range of Turkish guns and took casualties.

On 17th August, the 8/NF took over the front line, holding this until ordered to attack the Turkish trenches facing them at 04.00hrs on 19th August. This is best described by quoting the 8/NF War Diary for 19th August.

"Ordered to attack entrenched position about 700 yards in front of our line, and 1000 yards south of 'W' Hill. Moved out 4am with 'X' and 'Z' Companies front line and 'W' and 'Y' in support. Advanced almost up to enemy trenches, unable to capture position owing to heavy fire of machine guns and rifles; occupied a gully and were caught in closed order at dawn by shrapnel. Had to retire. 2nd Commanding Officer (Major E.E. Williams D.S.O.), Quarter Master and Machine Gun officers killed, 5 officers wounded and three missing. Other ranks - 23 killed, 141 wounded, 88 missing, 2 wounded and missing. Marched back to reserve trenches."

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission shows 111 men of the 8/NF killed on 19th August. All of the men have no known grave and are commemorated on the Helles Memorial with the sole exception of Major E.E. Williams, who is buried in Green Hill Cemetery. Two Tipton-born men were amongst the 111 men of the 8/NF to lose their lives that day: Privates Samuel Sherwood and Frederick Willetts.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.