Photo: Barney Rice

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

Born in Winlaton on 22nd November 1889 Septimus was as his name suggests, the seventh child of Northumberland born parents colliery worker Andrew Amos and his wife of thirteen years Mary Davison. His older siblings, all boys, were John, William, Walter, Andrew, Roseby and Robert. By 1891 the family were living at Derwenthaugh and ten years later had moved to Railway Street in Blaydon and all the boys were working apart from Septimus.

By 1911 only Septimus , working as a labourer at an iron foundry, and his brother Roseby, a blacksmith’s striker at the chain works, were still living with their parents, who had now moved to 59 George Street, Blaydon.

For five years from 1907-1911 Septimus had been a member of the territorials, the 5th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers.

Septimus was in Liverpool on 13th July 1913 boarding the SS Megantic to sail to Quebec, but the Canadian Passenger List for that sailing has “Detained” stamped against his name, meaning that he was not immediately permitted to enter the country, usually for medical reasons.

But this 6 feet tall well-built blacksmith was eventually allowed in, and just after war was declared he enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force at the newly opened army camp at Valcartier on 21st September 1914, giving his name as George Amos. Private 1318 was posted to the 8th Battalion and by 1st April 1915 was in France. He was gassed at Ypres on the middle of May but continued to serve with his battalion until wounded at Givenchy in June 1915 when he was shot in his elbow, and after treatment at hospital in Rouen was transferred to England and the 3rd Canadian General Hospital at Basingstoke.

The Newcastle Journal Monday 14/06/1915 reports

Mr Andrew Amos of George Street, Blaydon has received a letter from his son Private Septimus Amos, of the4th Canadian Regiment stating that he has been wounded on the elbow by a piece of shell.

Back in France by November, George was treated for influenza at the No.1 Canadian Field Ambulance Station in January 1916.

He received another wound, this time to his “lower extremities,” on 7th October 1916 near Pozieres, and after treatment at Le Touquet was returned to Fort Pitt Military Hospital at Chatham, where he died of his wounds on 5th November. His medical report reads “a very dirty wound ... small fragments of loose bone removed ... he then developed extensive bronchitis in both lungs and developed signs of cardiac failure from which he died.”

Awarded the 1914/15 Star, the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

Septimus Amos was buried in Blaydon Cemetery on 8th November 1916.

Septimus (George) Amos is remembered at Blaydon on B111.01 and B111.14

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual War Memorial
The CWGC entry for Private Amos