Samuel Dizzard Stewart

 Samuel Dizzard Stewart

Samuel was born on 18th May 1892 in Leith, Edinburgh, he was the fourth of five children born to Allan and Agnes Stewart, Allan was a Lithographic printer by trade. On a date before 3rd July 1899 Alan moved his family to London, on this date Samuel started at Great College School in St Pancras, the family home was nearby at 196 Clarence Road. On leaving school Samuel gained employment as an Organ Builder, he was still so employed when he joined up.

On 10th December 1915, Samuel attended an army recruitment office in St Pancras and attested under the Derby Scheme to join the Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own). At this time Samuel was 23 years of age, 5' 5¾" tall with a dimple on his chin, he was living with his family at 21 Hartland Road, Chalk Farm. The following day he was posted to the army reserve to await call up, this followed in February 1916 and on the 11th he reported to the brigade depot at Winchester and was posted as Rifleman S16280 to 5th (Reserve) Battalion, this Battalion was stationed at Minster on Sea, Sheppey, Kent part of the coastal defences, the posting was probably purely administrative because on 6th March 1916 he was posted to 17th (Reserve) Battalion which in January had moved to Banbury. This change was at the request of the officer commanding 17th Battalion in whose ranks Samuel's brother Allan Robert was serving as Corporal P4282.

Samuel underwent basic training which involved learning how to care for and wear uniform and kit, much physical exercise, drill and long route marches. All designed to build fitness, character and mold the individual into a soldier who could work in a team, take and act on orders. On completion of training Samuel was posted to France to join the BEF embarking on 20th July. On 21th July 1916 Samuel arrived at an Infantry Base Depot (IBD) at Le Havre and from there was posted to 13th (Service) Battalion joining them in the field on 26th July in a draft of 231 other ranks, two days previously 223 officers and men had joined the Battalion.

13th Battalion had been formed at Winchester in September 1914 as part of Kitchener's New Armies and landed in France on 22nd July the previous year. They had been involved in the Somme offensive manning the front line and taking part in an attack on 10th July which was cancelled after they had advanced 200 yards, the casualties had been heavy losses of 20 officers and 380 other ranks. The losses included the CO, second in command, Adjudent and all four Company Commanders. When Samuel joined the Battalion they were out of the line at Bresle training, marching, drill and musketry on the range. On the night of 31st July the Battalion entered the trenches, initially a reserve line near Mametze Wood between Bottom Wood and Shelter Wood.

On the night of 6-7th August between 1.20 and 7 a.m. the Battalion's positions were bombarded by German artillery causing 43 casualties. They remained in the trenches until relieved on 14th August when they returned to billets at Bresle to continue training. At the end of August the Battalion moved to Verdrel from where they rotated in and out of the defensive line of Cité Calonne. This was a quiet sector the main action being to the South.

At the beginning of November the Battalion moved to Hedauville arriving their and going into billets on the 13th, that night they moved to the front to take part in an attack for the 63rd (RN) Division, on the way they suffered 40 casualties from artillery fire. 

The attack was launched at 6.15 a.m. from Railway Alley to a point in Beaucourt Trench 400 yards to the north west. An artillery barrage to cover the advance was to high and the attack was held up by rifle and machine gun fire until 7.15 a.m. a second barrage was corrected enabling a sussesful assault which captured the objective and captured 300 Germans who had lined up to surrender. The fighting continued all day and the positions were held until relieved on 21st November, during this period casualties continued to add up. On the first day Samuel had become a casualtyrsuffering a shrapnel wound to his right hip. Samuel's wound was dressed and he entered the casualty train arriving at 16 General Hospital at Le Treport on 15th November. Following treatment he was discharged back to the IBD and from there to rejoin his Battalion on 10th December 1916. During the operations on November 1916 the 13th Battalion had casualties if all ranks; 325, killed, wounded and missing.

On this date, 10th December 1916, the Battalion were based at Authieule they commenced a move by march to arrive at Croix Barbee on 22nd December. On 28th they went into the left sector trenches at Neuve Chapelle. The frontline was bombarded for two days by medium and heavy calibre  Minenwerfer (trench mortar) but by moving the men into communication trenches and the flanks they avoided large losses with only four men being injured. The front line was not now a continuous line but a series of outposts, the gaps between covered by machine guns and 15 pounder field guns, ironically the latter being purchased from Germany in 1900. The ground in this area was broken by shellfish and a quagmire of wet mud, everything sank into the ooze even the barbed wire.

Trench routine continued until March 1917 which was spent marching and training for the forthcoming offensive of the Battle of Arras. The latest tactic was independent action at a Platoon level, teams of Riflemen, Snipers, Lewis Gunners and bombers working together to take given objectives, the days of a cohesive line walking towards enemy guns was over. The battle started on 9th April and for the first two days 13th Battalion were in the front line in reserve, on the 11th they were involved in the successful attack on the village of Monchy le Preux. On 23rd April, following a generous rum ration and meal of bully beef, they were the second wave attacking in artillery formation, 200 yards between sections, when they were subjected to an intense bombardment causing heavy losses, including the CO. On reaching the first German line they found it full of the first wave whose officers were all casualties, pushing through the attack continued, the next objective being the village of Gavrelle. By this time the Battalions losses were so high only four officers and 120 other ranks were present, but they continued to fight on. Gavrelle was taken and 13th Battalion took and consolidated a length of line to the right of the village.

Counter attacks and heavy artillery bombardment, including gas, failed to dislodge the British forces holding the line, it had snowed heavily making recovery of the wounded difficult. The Battalion remained holding this captured line until the night of 29th April when they were relieved and retired to Battery Valley arriving there, filthy and exhausted, at 5 a.m. The survivors were joined by stragglers who had become displaced during the fighting and some fresh food arrived including eggs. Men bedded down in gun emplacements for a well earned rest before moving back to Arras. Trophies were exchanged including a batch of 50 Iron Crosses found in a HQ in Gavrelle.

Awards for the action during this battle were; immediately, two MCs and 17 MMs which were later followed by three DSO' (two to the same officer), one MC, one DCM and 11 MMs. The casualty lists are incomplete but on 23rd April alone 120 men were wounded. The Battalion moved to a quiet sector where they trained and manned the line.

During June 1917 the Battalion were engaged in the Battle to capture Whtschaette a fortified Village on the plateau of the Messines Ridge, during the fighting they had again suffered heavy casualties and in the aftermath were rotating in and out of the line in this sector. At the beginning of August they moved into the Ridge Defence Line and on the night of the 6th they moved forward to establish posts at Rifle and North Farms which gave important views over German lines. During this day ten men were wounded, seven of them from gas shells, Samuel's luck ran out and he was overcome by gas. Initially Samuel was treated at 50 Field Ambulance, transferred to 1st Canadian General Hospital at Étaples-sur-Mer and on 12th August he was sent for treatment in England.

Samuel was in hospital for 31 days suffering from burns to his neck and back, this was the effects of Mustard Gas which the Germans used in large quantities during the summer of 1917. In its purest form this gas is colourless but a mustrad colorant was added to observe where the gas was flowing. On contact with the skin no symptons are obvious but untreated, burn blisters oozing yellow fluid were caused, the mortality rate was low but long periods of hospitalisation and treatment were needed, logistically a better result than death. The long term effects of this gas were burns and respiratory problems with a higher chance of cancer later in life.

On 7th November 1917, following a period of recuperation and leave, Samuel landed back in France and from an IBD was posted to 10th Battalion Rifle Brigade. On 13th December Samuel joined the Battalion in a draft of 90 men, a note in the diary notes that 46 of these were untrained as Infantry having been transferred from the ASC or AOC. At this time the 10th were training at La Sablonnière, South East of Paris. On Christmas eve a barn being used caught fire and despite the efforts of a great number of men it was lost, the other buildings however were saved. The following day was declared a holiday, in the morning a football match was held in very muddy conditions between officers and Sergeants, the game was drawn, both sides scoring a goal and was followed by a good Christmas dinner being served. Recent casualty losses had left the Battalion understrength, despite six officers and 184 other ranks joining during December the ration strength was 20 officers and 540 men.

At the end of December the Battalion moved to Dickebusch billeted in Mic Mac Camp and moved early in January to Chippewa Camp near to La Clytte, South west of Ypres, from where they returned to trench duty, manning the line and forming carrying parties for the front lines. On 3rd February 1918 orders were recieved for the 10th Battalion to be disbanded, it had been formed in September 1914 and been fighting in France since July 1915. No senior officer would come and explain the decision accordingly the men were sent to base camps and distributed, Samuel was posted to 8th Battalion but then spent some time in hospital with Trench Foot.

On 17th June 1918 he was posted to 2nd Battalion Rifle Brigade joining his new unit the following day with a draft of 637 other ranks. The Battalion had been in the front line when the German army launched phase three, Operation Blücher–Yorck, of their Spring Offensive on 27th May 1918, their positions were pounder by artillery from 1 a.m., at 4 a.m. Trench mortars and gas commenced followed by an Infantry assault with tanks. That day the Battalion lost 27 officers and 680 other ranks, no doubt the disbandment of 10th Battalion was due to the huge losses of men during this offensive. Samuel joined the Battalion whilst it was out of the line and training, this situation continued until 4th August when they went into the support line in Vimy Village. During this period Samuel had his only run in with military discipline, on 3rd July he was caught smoking in the Barracks against orders and was confined to Barracks for five days. Between spells in the trenches the Battalion trained and formed working parties bringing SAA, bombs and trench mortar ammunition up to create dumps to support future operations.

On 26th November 1918 Samuel went on leave to England returning to join his unit on 9th November. On this day the Battalion commenced a march from Baudour to Pommeroeul arriving at 4 p.m. on the 10th to the great delight and applause of the locals. The following morning at 10.30 a.m. the news of the Armistice was recieved, Samuel hard fired his last shot in anger. The Battalion rested and cleaned for a few days then continued training, marching, holding sporting events and concerts, on 7th December the Battalion took part in a parade through Tournai for King George V. On Christmas Day 1918 a Brigade church parade was held at 10.30, dinner at 12.30 during which the Brigadier went round he was greeted with much enthusiasm by the men. In the afternoon the officers played the Sergeants at football, the latter winning 10-0 obviously no fix in with the ref this time, in the evening a concert party entertained everyone.

On 1st March 1919 Samuel with two second Lieutenants and 59 other ranks left 2nd Battalion and proceeded to Dunkirk to join 25th (Service) Battalion (Pioneers) King's Royal Rifle Corps on transfer, the 8th Division was being dismantled and this transfer was followed by others reducing 2nd Battalion to Cadre strength. 25th KRRC was formed from the 2nd Garrison Guard Battalion of the Labour Corps based in Dunkirk and as its ranks swelled the men were put to work building huts and camps for demobilisation, after which they were used for guard and escort duty for POWs at Beau Marias near Calais and guard duties on ammunition dumps. On 20th May 1919 Samuel proceeded to England on leave returning on 3rd June and then on 6th September he embarked to England for the last time.

On arrival in England Samuel attended Crystal Palace Dispersal Unit where he underwent the demobilisation medical and administration process and on 5th October 1919 was demobilised and placed on the Z Reserve list until 31st March 1920 when he was finally discharged.

Back in civvy Street Samuel had a change of career and became a bus conductor. On 6th September 1924 he married Elizabeth Blackburn at Kentish Town Parish church, the couple set their home at 20 Peckwater Street. The house number written in the Register may have been misheard as in the 1939 England and Wales register the house number is 22. Samuel was employed by the London Passenger Transport Board as a bus conductor and living with the couple was their daughter Pamela Rosina who had been born in 1925 and was at that time a schoolgirl.

Samuel's military career had spanned four years, incurring two wounds involving painful treatment and no doubt scarring for life and for all was rewarded with the award of the British War and Victory Medals. In contrast his elder brother Alan served in England and although attaining at least Corporal Rank did not earn him any Medals, if the two were typical brothers I'm sure the issue was raised!

Samuel died in July 1968 aged 76, there is no record of his daughter marrying or having children, when she passed or before, Samuel's Medals were sold and now form part of my collection.