Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery | III. C. 17. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.117 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 26C GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Sam was born in 1885, the son of Samuel and Emma Bluck, of Cross Foxes, Mill Street, Aberystwyth, Cardiganshire.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 321st Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery |
| Action : The Battle of Messines 1917 and associated actions |
7 June - 11 July 1917. The plan at Messines was to blow up 19 mines in what was the largest man made explosion before Hiroshima, and utterly destroy the German front line along the Messines Ridge. The effect was to "liquify" the ground and create a mini earthquake, which coupled with the largest artillery preparation thus far of over 3 million shells would stun the defenders into submission. The plan largely worked and was initially very successful although the Germans did re-group and opportunities to develop the attack were lost. Casualties in this victory were 25,000.
Detail :
He enlisted at Aberystwyth on 10 December 1915 into the Royal Artillery, and was posted to France with the 172nd Siege Battery on 25 July 1916. By November, Samuel had returned home sick, and after recovering was sent back out to France, joining the 321st Siege Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery in June 1917. The Battery was at Ypres, and was firing preliminary 'softening-up' bombardments on the German lines when Samuel was killed by a shell splinter 25 June 1917. He was 32 years old, and is buried in Vlamertinghe New Military Cemetery, Belgium.
He is commemorated for his service on the Aberyswyth War Memorial.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Corbet No. 1583 E.C. | North Wales |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
11th March 1915 | 8th April 1915 | 13th May 1915 |
Steward
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley