In Cinq Rues British Cemetery, Hazelbrouck, France is the Commonwealth War Grave of 23/106 Private Samuel Fields serving with the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry who died 30/06/1918.
He was the son of David and Hannah Fields, of 5, Wades Buildings, Low Lane, Heworth, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
The eldest of two sons, Samuel Fields was born at Grimsby, Lincolnshire in 1895 as was his brother David in 1898. Their father David Fields born 1869 originated from Scotland and had married Hannah Smith born 1871, Staffordshire, in the district of Middlesbrough in 1891. David Snr. was a cabinet maker by trade, he and his family in 1901 were living at 250, Victoria Street, Grimsby, Hannah worked from home as a dressmaker.
At the time of Samuels enlistment the family were living at Heworth Lane, Heworth, near Gateshead, historically in County Durham. He presented himself at the recruitment office at Felling where he was assigned as Private 106 to the 19th (Bantams) Battalion Durham Light Infantry in reserve.
October 1915 from the reserves of the 19th Battalion the 23rd (Reserve) Battalion of the New Army was formed at Catterick, set up to feed the draft of trained men going to the front line. In April 1916 the 23rd moved to Atwick near Hornsea, Private Fields was eventually assigned to the 18th Battalion Durham Light Infantry.
He departed as part of the British Expeditionary Force in March 1916 to join the battalion in France which had been sent there after its withdrawal from Egypt as part of the 93rd Brigade, 31st Division. The battalion saw its first major action July 1st 1916 during the opening Battle of the Somme when it attacked the German trenches at Serre at the northern end of the battlefield after being heavily bombarded by the Germans prior to the attack.
By 8 a.m. that day the Division had suffered 2,000 casualties and the remainder were ordered forward into the front line to delay the German counter attack and where they remained until July 5th under constant shell-fire. By then the 18th Battalion which had gone into battle 800 strong had suffered almost 500 casualties including 70 dead. After the Battles of the Somme they were reinforced and continued to serve on the Western Front until November 1918 but was never the same again having lost too many of the original Durham Pals.
Private 23/106 Samuel Fields was killed in action June 30th 1918, his body lies at rest grave H. 17. Cinq Rues British Cemetery, Hazelbrouck, Nord, France. The cemetery contains primarily servicemen from the fighting units who fell during April 1918 to August 1918.
His mother Hannah nominated as his sole beneficiary received all monies due to her late son from the Army, a pension and his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 5, Water Buildings, Low Lanes, Heworth, (transcribed by CWGC as Wades Buildings). At her own expense, she commissioned an additional inscription to be added to her son’s military headstone, it reads, Death Divides But Memory Clings.
Samuel’s younger brother David may also have served although no record has been found. This may explain the confusion and why the inscription at Heworth St. Mary lists the entry, in error, as D. Fields.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Samuel Fields is remembered at Heworth on H92.03 and in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 167.
