Samuel was born on 13th May 1893 in Bolton, Lancashire - not much is known about his early life, but he joined the Navy on 3rd March 1909 as a Boy 2nd Class. He was 5’4” tall with brown hair and eyes and had several tattoos - faint dots on his left forearm and a rose on his right forearm with ALICE written underneath.
His service follows:-
HMS GANGES - 03/03/19109 - 14/01/1910, rising to Boy 1st Class on 29/10/1909
HMS BERWICK - 15/01/1910 - 26/04/1910
HMS CHARYBDIS - 27/04/1910 - 14/06/1910
HMS PEMBROKE I - 15/06/1910 - 01/08/1910
HMS CHARYBDIS - 02/08/1910 - 08/09/1910
HMS ASTRAEA - 09/09/1910 - 28/06/1912, rising to Ordinary Seaman on 13/05/1911
HMS PEMBROKE I - 29/06/1912 - 16/09/1912
HMS NATAL - 17/09/1912 - 18/03/1913, rising to Able Seaman on 04/01/1913
HMS PEMBROKE I - 19/03/1913 - 07/11/1913, spending 14 days in cells (for unknown reasons)
HMS VANGUARD - 13/12/1913 - 09/07/1917
Samuel served on HMS Vanguard during the Battle of Jutland with many of his friends - his Star, Victory and British war medals were claimed by his mother Emma after his death, along with his pension.
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Sources:
Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services, 1848-1939 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Royal Navy Registers of Seamen's Services; Class: ADM 188; Piece: 654v
Royal Navy and Royal Marine War Graves Roll, 1914-1919 TNA Series: ADM 242/7; Scan Number: 0527
CWGC Register
British Army and Navy Birth, Marriage and Death Records, 1730-1960 National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Admiralty: Naval Casualties, Indexes, War Grave Rolls and Statistics Book, First World War.; Class: ADM 242; Piece: 007 (1914 - 1919)
Naval Medal and Award Rolls, 1793-1972 Class: ADM 171; Piece: 97
WWI Pension Ledgers and Index Cards, 1914-1923 Western Front Association; London, England; Naval Pension Ledgers; Reference: 542931
Brian Carter.