Name
Arthur William Sams
1893
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/07/1916
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
13050
Bedfordshire Regiment
2nd Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
REGINA TRENCH CEMETERY, GRANDCOURT
Plot IV, Row C, Grave 2
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Codicote Village Memorial, Peace Memorial Hall, Codicote
Pre War
Arthur William Sams was born in Codicote in 1893, the son of Elizabeth Sams and was baptised on 25 March 1984 at St Giles, Codicote.
On the 1901 Census, Arthur was living at the home of his grandfather Thomas Sams in High Street, Codicote, with his mother and brother Alec. His grandfather was working as a farm labourer, his mother as a washerwoman and his older brother was a coachman (domestic).
His grandfather died soon after the 1901 Census, aged 75 and the rest of the family remained living in High Street, Codicote in 1911, with his mother then being head of the household and working as a charwoman. Both Arthur and his brother Alec were working as farm labourers. (N.B. a note on the Census form states that both Arthur and his brother were illegitimate.)
His mother died on 27 October 1922.
Wartime Service
Arthur enlisted in Codicote and joined the Bedfordshire Regiment, serving with the 2nd Battalion in France.
He was killed in action on 11 July 1916 at Trones Wood during the battle of the Somme, where the battalion suffered heavy losses, and is buried at Regina Trench Cemetery, Grandcourt, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £8 10s and pay owing of £2 15s 7d. Pension record cards exist but give no indication of any pension received.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Brenda Palmer, June Colegrove, Roll-of-Honour.com, www.bedfordregiment.org.uk
