Private Samuel George Burge

Samuel was born in Tooting on 20 February 1893. His father, also named Samuel, was a House Decorator. Samuel and his wife Clara were residing at 192 Trevelyan Road, Tooting when they baptised Samuel Jnr and his two brothers, Charles and Reuben at the same time in October 1897.

In 1901, the family were living at 20 Marlborough Road, Colliers Wood. The boys had an older sister Nellie, who was aged 15. Samuel was 8 years old, while Charles was 5 and Reuben 3 years old.

By 1911 the family was living at 59 Lyveden Road, Tooting. The family had grown to include Arthur, Horace, Alfred, Jessie and Joshua. Sadly, records show that out of fourteen children, four children had died in infancy.

Samuel was not living at this address at the time, as he was at the Mcgregor Barracks, Aldershot having enlisted in 1910 at 17 years of age. He was initially with the Army Reserve (Duke of Cornwall) but transferred to the Royal Army Medical Corps on 13 March 1911 where he remained until he was discharged later that year. His army records state that his occupation had been a carpenter’s labourer, and was described as 5ft 3 ins in height, with blue eyes and brown hair. He had various tattoos, including snakes and butterflies.

Samuel married Alice Sallis in 1913, and the couple had a son, Reuben George who was born in the same year. The electoral roll for 1915 records the family living in Mitcham, at 2 Railway Cottages, Eastfields.

Very early on when WW1 broke out, Samuel enlisted again at Kingston in September 1914, alongside his brother Reuben. He joined the East Surrey Regiment as a Private. After six month’s training he was sent to the Ypres Salient, Belgium. It was during the first day of the battle of Frezenburg (8–13 May 1915) that Samuel was killed in action. He had only been at the Front for three weeks.

Samuel’s mother received the sad news from his brother Reuben, who was in the same regiment. Fortunately, Reuben survived the war.