TOPIC:

Samuel was born in SMETHWICK on 2 November 1877.

The 1881 Census found the Simpson family living at the back of No.6 Hill Street, Smethwick. By the time of the 1891 Census the family had moved to 68 Cross Street, Smethwick. Both census returns show his father, Norman, worked as a “Nail Maker”.

On 21 April 1900 Samuel went to one of the three barracks in Birmingham to offer his services for Queen & Country in the South African (Second Boer) War of 1899-1902. He passed the medical and was assigned to the King’s Royal Rifle Corps, regimental number 2960. After 11 months home service during which he was trained to be a Mounted Infantryman he sailed to South Africa on 18 March 1901. In South Africa he served in the 4th Company of the 25th Battalion of the Mounted Infantry and, on 30 October 1901, his about 400 strong battalion were involved in a desperate rear-guard action during which 14 of them were killed and 27 seriously wounded. Samuel survived this and the rest of the war. Once the war was over he did not return home but was posted to Somaliland.

Samuel was awarded the left hand medal (Queen’s South Africa Medal) for his service in South Africa and it is unremarkable. The right hand medal (African General Service Medal) is rarer and the clasps show he was involved in the defeat of the “Mad Mullah” in January 1904.

Samuel stepped foot again on the soil of England, after an absence of just over 3 years, on 10 July 1904 and became a civilian again on 20 April 1905. On 4 July 1909 Samuel married Handsworth born Agnes Wright in Smethwick and the 1911 Census found them living with her mother at 71 Suffrage Street, Smethwick. In October 1911 they emigrated to Canada where their only son, Bernard was born a year later.

On 7 May 1915, 38 year old Samuel enlisted in the Canadian Army. Samuel served in France and while he was away Agnes and Bernard, returned to Smethwick and lived with her sister Laura at 111 Rosefield Road, Smethwick.

Samuel survived the Great War and he, Agnes and Bernard returned to life in Canada and at the time of the Canadian 1921 Census they were living in York, Ontario. On the return his occupation is illegible but his 1943 death certificate gives his occupation as “Soldier”. He died in an Army Veterans hospital in Toronto, of lung cancer, on the date shown on his gravestone above.

The photo is of his actual medals which were auctioned just over 3 years ago and posted on this site by David Biggins – they appear to have become separated from his Great War medals, hopefully whoever purchased them was a family member who was able to reunite them.

What a nice pair of medals. Thanks for sharing your research. As always, you bring the recipient back to life.