Newton-le-Willows and Earlestown War Memorial

In Memory of

Private Samuel Edwards

45584
19th Battalion Royal Welsh Fusiliers
(Attached to 119th Machine Gun Corps)
(Formerly 24934 South Lancashire Regiment)
Killed in Action 21st October 1916 Age 18

Samuel was the son of George and Elizabeth Edwards who originally lived at 30, Clarence Street, Earlestown, but who moved to 59, Tennyson Street, Sutton Manor, St. Helens. SDGW gives his place of birth as Wrexham. He was a regular attender at the Brunswick Road Mission up to the time of his enlisting. He would have been nineteen on December 2nd 1916.

The news of his death was sent to his parents in a letter from Private Thomas Curran, a friend. According to the obituary published in the WG on 11th November 1916, Private Curran said that "they got parted when they got out [of the trenches] but he did not expect it to be for ever. As some Fusiliers went past him, he heard them say that Sammy Edwards had been killed, and on stopping them got the news that he was just leaving the trenches when he was hit and he only lived for about a minute after."

Both the NEG and the WG give Samuel's date of death as the 19th October. However, CWGC and SDGW give his date of death as 21st, SDGW adding that he "died of wounds". Perhaps the minute quoted was intended to spare his parents' feelings as the letter from Private Curran was dated 22nd October. He is buried in Philosophe British Cemetery, Mazingarbe, in Plot I Row H Grave 29.