Menin Gate Memorial
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
Samuel Hurry was born at Durham City in 1894, the eldest of 4 children, 2 sons and 2 daughters born to Samuel Hurry of Norwich, Norfolk, born 1858, who had migrated to the north east and was living as a lodger in 1881 at Pelton, County Durham, employed as a coal miner and Barbara Ann Kirtley born 1871 at Darlington, County Durham who had a son George Kirtley. They were married in the district of Durham in 1869 and by 1901 were living at Hollinside Terrace, Lanchester with George and their children Samuel Jnr, Mary born 1896, Alice 1899 and William 1901. Samuel Snr was employed as a coal miner/putter and by 1911 had been joined by Samuel Jnr at the pit. His step-son George was married to Elizabeth Bell later that year and he moved to Station Road, Lanchester.
Samuel Hurry enlisted at Durham in 1914 assigned as Private 2646 Durham Light Infantry to the 1st/8th Battalion which had been formed in 1908 from the 4th Volunteer Battalion and sent initially to the coastal defences between Roker and Whitburn. He was drafted to the Western Front April 20th 1915 and joined his regiment in the field on the Ypres salient in Belgium. Private Hurry was reported as missing and next of kin informed, after extensive investigations as to his whereabouts it was concluded that he was presumed to have died April 26th 1915, only 6 days after his arrival at the front.
His sacrifice is recorded as one of the 54,614 names inscribed on the Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Belgium commemorating servicemen from the British and Commonwealth forces killed on the Ypres salient as of 1915 to August 15th 1917, who have no known grave or whose graves have never been found. He was 21 years old and single.
His father received all monies due to him and his awards of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to him at 39, Derwent Terrace, Annfield Plain, County Durham.
His half-brother George Kirtley serving with the 14th Battalion Durham Light Infantry died of wounds sustained May 4th 1917 and interred at Calais Southern Cemetery, France. Samuel Hurry died in 1924 aged 66 years, registered in the district of Lanchester, his mother Barbara Ann Hurry nee Kirtley aged 79 years in 1950 registered Durham N. W.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Samuel Hurry is remembered at Greencroft on G54.01 and G54.02 and at Annfield Plain on A38.01 and A38.11
He is also remembered in The DLI Book of Remembrance and in the Battalion History D47.156
