Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Samuel Alfred Strawbridge was born in Terowie the 27th July 1897. He went to school like a normal kid. When World War One started Samuel was only sixteen so he had to wait two more years until he was old enough to enlist with his parents’ permission. His service number was 2948. His place of enlistment was at Port Pirie. He was not married when he went to war and lived with this mum Mrs Jennette Strawbridge. Samuel joined the war on the 9th of March, 1916, at the age of eighteen years and seven months.

He was of fair complexion with grey eyes and light brown hair. His enlistment papers described him as 5ft 8 inches tall, weighing at 135 Ibs (61.235 kg). His chest measurement was 34 and ½ inches.

During the war, he went to the hospital due to an infected wound. He then was let out and started fighting again.

Samuel served on the pipeline of Romani. His job was to protect the pipeline and make sure that no one passed and destroyed the pipeline. He was just one of many people who were fighting on the Romani pipeline. They would ride up and down the pipeline on their horses and protect it from the enemy. The battle in Romani went for three days from the 3rd of August to the 5th of August, many lives were lost but lucky Samuel Alfred Strawbridge was not.

When Samuel came back safe and sound from war, he married Stella Marie Faulkner and had three children, two boys and one girl - Kevin Alfred, Francis William, and Teresa.

Family members say that Samuel liked going out shooting with his nephews and that he kept to himself a lot. They say Samuel was a very nice person; he was never mean to anyone and was always kind and did not speak badly about anyone. He always made whoever was with him feel comfortable. Samuel was liked by everyone, he was a kind-hearted person and like being around family.

No one knows why Samuel signed up for service, but as soon as he turned eighteen in 1916, he enlisted. It was believed by the family that it was an act of kindness and a desire to serve his country.  

If you have forgotten where he is buried or want to go see his grave and pay respect, these are his gravesite details.

Section: One, Row: Seven, Plot: C183, Last residence: Terowie, SA, Date of interment: 25/05/1964 

Samuel was the son of Samuel William STRAWBRIDGE & Janette HAMS and was born on the 27th of July 1897 in Terowie, SA.

His parents were married on the 23rd of October 1880 at the residence of Janette’s parents in Terowie, SA.

His father was the son of John William STRAWBRIDGE & Anne WEYMOUTH and was born on the 7th of March 1859 in Kapunda, SA.
His mother was the daughter of Edward HAMS & Jane SMITH and was born on the 1st of February 1862 in South Rhine, SA.

Samuel was the ninth child born into the family of 11 children.

His father was a Mason and the family lived in Terowie.

When Samuel was 12 months old his family moved to Pt Pirie and then Samuel and his siblings were educated in Pt Pirie.
Samuel then gained employment as a labourer.

His brother Ernest enlisted into the 1st AIF on the 25th of November 1915 and allotted the service number 2330 and posted to the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 16th Reinforcements.

At the age of 18, Samuel enlisted in the 1st AIF on the 9th of March 1916 in Pt Pirie, SA and was allotted the service number 2948 and posted to Base Light Horse, 2nd Depot Battalion.

Ernest embarked from Adelaide on board HMAT A41 Bakara on the 28th of April 1916 and then on the 1st of August Samuel was transferred to the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 21st Reinforcements.

Samuel embarked from Adelaide on board RMS Mooltan on the 24th of August 1916, disembarked in Egypt.

Even though Samuel was in the same Regiment as his brother they never served together as Ernest suffered from an old fracture to his tibia & fibula and was hospitalised when Samuel arrived in Egypt.
Ernest returned to Australia on the 21st of November 1916.

Samuel served in Egypt for 3 years before embarking from Kantar on the 10th of July 1919 on board HT Oxfordshire, disembarking in Adelaide on the 10th of August.

Samuel was discharged from the AIF on the 25th of September 1919 and returned to his family, who had moved back to Terowie in 1917, whilst he was overseas.

Samuel married Stella Maria FULKNER on the 4th of April 1923 in the Catholic Church, Terowie.
Stella was the daughter of William Francis FAULKNER & Bridget Ann LYNCH and was born on the 22nd of April 1900 in Terowie, SA.

Samuel gained employment as a rail cleaner and they welcomed their first child; Kevin Alfred, on the 21st of November 1924 in Terowie.
Francis William was then born on the 27th of March 1929 followed by Teresa.

Samuel joined the Terowie RSL Sub-Branch.

Family members say that Samuel liked going out shooting with his nephews and that he kept to himself a lot. They say Samuel was a very nice person; he was never mean to anyone and was always kind and did not speak badly about anyone. He always made whoever was with him feel comfortable. Samuel was liked by everyone, he was a kind-hearted person and like being around family.

The family moved to Peterborough before returning to Terowie.

Samuel died on the 23ed of May 1964 in Terowie and his funeral took place 2 days later and he was buried in the Terowie Cemetery; Section 1, Row 7, Plot C183.

Stella died on the 4th of June 1971 and was buried in the Terowie Cemetery; Section 1, Row 7, Plot C183 with Samuel.

Military

At the age of 18, Samuel enlisted in the 1st AIF on the 9th of March 1916 in Pt Pirie, SA and was allotted the service number 2948 and posted to Base Light Horse, 2nd Depot Battalion.
He listed his mother, of Falconer Street, Pt Pirie West, SA, as his next of kin and his parents gave him permission to join.

He was described as being of fair complexion with grey eyes and light brown hair. He was 5ft 8 inches tall, weighing at 135 Ibs (61.235 kg) and his chest measurement was 34 and ½ inches.

He was then posted to E Company, 2nd Depot Battalion on the 1st of June for 2 weeks before returning to Base Light Horse, 2nd Depot Battalion.

On the 1st of August he was transferred to the 9th Light Horse Regiment, 21st Reinforcements.

Samuel embarked from Adelaide on board RMS Mooltan on the 24th of August 1916, disembarked in Egypt on the 21st of September and marched isolation camp in Moascar.
After 4 weeks in the isolation camp Samuel was posted to the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment in Moascar on the 20th of October.
He spent the next 5 months here, including Christmas 1916 before he was taken on strength with the 9th Light Horse Regiment near Abasan al-Kabira on the 21st of March where they were engaged in patrolling the area.

Six days later Samuel took part in the First Battle of Gaza and was engaged in the encirclement of the city as a prelude to its capture, but they then received the order to withdraw and return to the starting line.
Grudgingly they did so but then realised the Turks had snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat.

By early April they had moved 7 miles and were located at Deir al Balah when Samuel suffered from an abscess on his buttock and was admitted into the 3rd Light Horse Field Ambulance on the 12th of April.
The following day he was transferred to the 66th Casualty Clearing Station (formally the 54th CCS) and then entrained on a hospital train to then 26th Casualty Clearing Station in Alexandria.

Then on the 15th Samuel was transferred to the 24th Stationary Hospital in Kantara and then the following day he was transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Abbassia.
After 11 days here he was discharged to the Moascar Rest Camp and then rejoined his Regiment on the 21st of May at Marakeb.

All of June was spent in Shellal in defence and reconnaissance before they moved just west of Khirbet-el-Sufi in mid July.

They then moved to Marakeb and then by the end of August they had moved to Abasan, where they remained here in training until the 18th of September when they moved onto Um Urgan and remained in this area in training preparing for the attack on Beersheba.

They moved to Khalassa on the 30th of October and at 5:30pm they started their move towards Beersheba.
The following morning they were 2 miles east of Beersheba and marched across slightly undulating ground and small wadis and moved across the country in line of troop columns at a steady trott, jinking here and there to evade the shrapnel which was being fired at a fairly short range.
They reached a small gully at 3:30pm and the enemy then shelled the gully for the next 1.5 hours but failed to cause a fatality.

At 5pm they received orders to move and occupy the line 1040. When nearing the SABA redoubt an enemy plane bombed C Troop of C Company, killing 2 men and wounding 11 others. 19 horses were killed and 6 more were wounded and at this point they learnt that Beersheba had fallen.

On the 4th of November they moved from Beersheba to Karm on account of water shortage and the following day they moved to Ilimara.
They then pursued the Turks and by late November they were reinforcing the Yeomanry front line at Beitunia

From this time onwards, for the next two months, Samuel and the 9th Light Horse Regiment remained in continuous combat and Christmas 1917 was spent in torrential rain at Suffa.

They then moved to Deir el Belah in early January for refit and training and on the 22nd of March Samuel gained 7 days leave in the Port Said Rest Camp.
Three days later he went AWOL for 12 hours and after being apprehended by the Military Police he was awarded 7 days forfeited pay.
Samuel rejoined his Regiment on the 30th of March and then in early April 1918, they moved into the Jordan Valley and took part in the invasion of Moab and took Es Salt during the action of the 30th of April – 4th May.

Unfortunately, due to a Turkish attack on the lines of communication, this raid nearly turned into a disaster where the Turkish forces almost cut off the Australian Mounted Division in the hills.

On the 23rd of August Samuel suffered from debility and was admitted into the 32nd Casualty Clearing Station in Jerusalem and transferred to the 76th Casualty Clearing Station in Ludd the following day.
Two day later, he was transferred to the 36th Stationary Hospital in Gaza and then onto the 44th Stationary Hospital in Kantara.

Samuel was then transferred to the 14th Australian General Hospital in Abbassia, where he remained for the next 3 weeks before being discharged to the Port Said Rest Camp on the 24th of September.
The following week he was posted to the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment in Moascar and then on the day the Armistice was singed, on the 11th of November 1918 he was admitted sick to the 2nd Australian General Hospital in Moascar.
He spent 10 days here before being discharged back to the Port Said Rest Camp on the 21st and then the following week he was posted back to the 3rd Light Horse Training Regiment.

Samuel then rejoined his Regiment on the 17th of December at Tripoli and it was here that he spent his last Christmas away from his family and friends.
All of January and the majority of February was spent here where they continued physical training and held sports events.
On the 22nd of February they handed their horses over to the 5th Cavalry Division and marched to El-Mina pier where they embarked on a lighter and then transferred to HMT Ellinga.

This was one of the saddest actions occurred for Samuel and the Light horsemen, as they had to farewell their best friends, the horses. All the Light Horse unit horses health was ascertained with the fit horses being transferred to the Indian Cavalry, while those in poor condition were destroyed by the Veterinary units.

After a calm voyage down the coast they arrive at Port Said and anchored near the Suez Canal for 2 hours before berthing at Sherifs Quay. They disembarked and march to Port Said railway station where they entrained for Kantara.
Then on the 24th they entrained to Rafa and then on the 3rd of March they moved to Moascar, but then 10 days later they were deployed to assist in suppressing the Egyptian Uprising.

Samuel embarked from Kantar on the 10th of July 1919 on board HT Oxfordshire, disembarking in Adelaide on the 10th of August.

Samuel was discharged from the AIF on the 25th of September 1919 and awarded the British War & Victory Medals.