Born on 16th September 1891 Samuel was the eighth child of nine to Samuel and Emma Begley, of Mill Street, Shipston-on-Stour. The young Samuel was baptised privately on the 6th February 1892 at St Edmunds and the records show Samuel senior as a Mason and the family as living in Mill Street.  On the 27th July 1894, when not quite 3 years old, Samuel is enrolled into the Infants School in Class 3. No reason is known for this particularly early start to Samuel’s schooling.  The School Log Book shows that on the 12th July 1897 he moved up to the Boys School. Four years later in the spring of 1901 the census recorded that the family had moved to Moreton Terrace in Shipston. The Boys School Log Book records Samuel as leaving School on the 1st July 1904 when he was two months from his thirteenth birthday. In early 1916 Samuel married Olive Abbots at Stow-on-the-Wold where, for a short while, they then lived with Olive’s parents. On the 31st March their first son, Samuel, was born and his baptism is recorded at St Edmunds, the family having moved to Telegraph Street. The ceremony was missed by Samuel senior as he had enlisted and joined 2nd/7th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, who arrived in France on the day of his son’s baptism, the 21st May 1916. In the parish registers Samuel senior is noted as having already achieved the rank of Corporal. On the 19th July 1916 the Battalion took part in the Battle of Fromelles. Their Division – the 61st (2nd South Midland) TF - and the 5th Australian Division had only recently arrived in France and this was their first major action.  It was disastrous. The main problem had been that instead of all going ‘over the top’ across a wide front, both Divisions had left the trenches by a relatively small number of exits.  They provided an easy target for the German machine gunners. The Australians suffered very badly and lost over 5,500 men.  The South Midlanders faired less badly, but lost over 1,500 men and also lost the confidence of their commanders.  They were not used again until 1917 when they were in action at Langemark and Cambrai.  On the 19th and 20th August 1918 the 2nd/7th Royal Warwickshire Regiment War diary reports: Le Sart Sector 19th Aug Right Front Battalion. W and Y Coys followed up their previous day advance and took up a position along the W side of river BOURRE running N and S from SAW MILLS.  They remained here for the day and sent patrols across the river to MERVILLE at dusk. ENEMY gas shells fell. Casualties 16 O.R.s Le Sart Sector 20th Aug Our patrols returned at 1.15am and reported the town of MERVILLE was not occupied by the enemy. W and Y Coys then crossed the river at 5am and established a line N/S. At 7am X and Z Coys went through the front line. Coys crossed the LYS canal and establish a line E of the canal. Enemy heavily shelled the area with HE and gas and inflicted several casualties.  Casualties 13 O.R.s Serjeant Samuel Begley was one of the 13 killed. There is a slight confusion over the date as his gravestone shows the 19th, but an eyewitness reports the 20th.  A month after he was killed Olive gave birth to their second son, William Frederick, who was baptised on the 24th November 1918 in St Edmunds. At the same time as William’s birth the following piece appeared in the Evesham Journal: Official intimation has been received from the War Office by Mrs S Begley, New-street, Shipston-on-Stour, that her husband Sergt Sam Begley was killed in France on August 20. Sergt Begley joined the forces in 1914 and went to France in July 1915. After nearly two years service in France he was wounded in the head in May 1917. On his recovery he went to France again on March 31, 1918.  He had seen a lot of fighting. He was 26 years of age, and since joining the army he has married, and leaves a widow and one son. In a letter received by Mrs Begley from the officer in command of the platoon, sympathising with her in her bereavement he says – “It is my sad task to tell you of your husband’s death. We moved forward at dawn to follow up the enemy, and at 7:30am were moving forward in extended order. At about 8am an enemy machine gun opened fire on us, and unfortunately your husband was hit in the forehead by one of the bullets. He was immediately tended to by my splendid stretcher-bearers, but without avail, as he died 15 minutes later. However, I can assure you that he felt absolutely no pain and probably never knew that he was hit.  He died at about 8:15am on Tuesday August 20th and was taken to battalion headquarters. I believe he will be or has been properly buried  in a  cemetery. I cannot tell you  where he fell, but I will keep the map reference, and will probably write to you again when I get to England.  He was my constant companion on my night vigils in the line, and his conduct and help at all times left nothing to be desired; in addition he gained the respect and admiration of all officers and men in the whole company.  The commanding officer has just been in and endorsed all of my statements. In conclusion, may I extend my heartfelt sympathy, and if I can give you any further information I shall be very pleased to do so.  F J Wells 2nd Lieut” Samuel Begley is buried in the Tannay British Cemetery, Thiennes, Nord, France and is remembered on both of the School Memorials and the Town Memorial.

Mike Wells