S27430
GEORGE, Archibald Samuel
| Service Number: | 2017 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Wilmington South Australia, 1878 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Traveller |
| Died: | Daw Park, South Australia, Australia, 12 August 1968, cause of death not yet discovered |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia PLOT: Acacia A, Path AL Grave 708 |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Grand Masonic Lodge WW1 Honour Board (2), Wilmington District WW1 Honour Boards |
World War 1 Service
| 10 Feb 1916: | Involvement Private, 2017, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '1' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Warilda embarkation_ship_number: A69 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Feb 1916: | Embarked Private, 2017, 3rd Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Warilda, Adelaide | |
| 11 Nov 1918: | Involvement 2017 | |
| Date unknown: | Wounded 2017, 4th Divisional Ammunition Column |
Help us honour Archibald Samuel George's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Adelaide Botanic High School
George Archibald Samuel was born in 1878 in the town of Wilmington, South Australia. On the 12th of April 1904 at Christ Church, Wilmington, George Archibald Samuel married Hannah Hettie. Samuel, alongside his wife, settled in the city of Semaphore, raising three children while he worked as a traveller.
On the 26th of May 1915, George volunteered for service, enlisting in the AIF as a private at Keswick Barracks. Upon enlistment, he was 37 years of age and was described as fit for service. He stood tall at 5 feet 8 inches, with brown hair, weighing 151 pounds, and having a fair complexion. He had a few distinctive marks, such as a large transverse scar over his right patella and vaccination scars on his left arm. Samuel began his training the following month, on June 10th.
On the 10th of February 1916, George Archibald Samuel embarked with the 3rd Light Horse Regiment on board the HMAT A69 Warilda. On the 21st of April 1916, he was taken on strength with the 4th Division Ammunition Column in Serapeum, Egypt.
On April 17, he was appointed as a Temporary Bombardier. On April 24, he was promoted to Temporary Corporal, a position that was later confirmed on April 30th. He was then appointed as a Lance Sergeant on the 3rd of July and later became a Sergeant on the 6th of September.
On the 30th of September 1916, Samuel landed on the Western Front in France with the British Expeditionary Force to assist the French army against the German invasion. His unit played a logistical role, ensuring a steady supply of ammunition in battles such as Messines and the Passchendaele campaign in 1917, allowing soldiers on the front lines to keep constant fire on the enemy.
After around a year near the front lines of war, on the 24th of September 1917, George was wounded in action from a shrapnel wound to his head. On the 25th, he was treated at the 66th Base Hospital in Etaples and was transferred the next day to the 56th General Hospital for comprehensive care. From October to November of 1917, he spent his time in the Convalescent Depots (recovery camps) recuperating from his wound.
It was not until December 4, 1917, that he was finally declared fit for service, as he rejoined his unit on December 22. He proceeded to spend his time behind the front lines, supplying ammunition to the artillery units, until he was promoted to Acting Sergeant on February 22, 1918. George had become a temporary sergeant on the 16th of March 1918, just 5 days before the German spring offensive. As a temporary sergeant, he led a unit of men right before one of Germany's final advances. His promotion was later confirmed on the 1st of April 1918. Samuel, alongside his unit (4Th D.A.C), contributed to the Hundred Days Offensive as well as the Battle of Amiens by supplying ammunition to the artillery units. This was crucial as battles relied on a constant flow of artillery, leaving the enemy with no time to retaliate. Records show that on the 26th of September 1918, Samuel was granted leave for the UK but ultimately returned to France for the final moments of battle on the 19th of October. However, when the Armistice was announced, records show that he was still serving in France.
George returned to Australia disembarking in Adelaide 18th February 1919. On the 12th of July 1919, George Archibald Samuel was formally discharged. Samuel passed away on 18 August 1968 in Daw Park, at the age of 90.