FREEMAN, Samuel

Samuel Freeman was born in Stourbridge and lived in St. Thomas's parish. In 1914 he enlisted in the Worcesters and was posted to the 4th Battalion in the 29th Division. In 1915 they were sent to the Mediterranean to capture Gallipoli from the Turks. On the 25th April the initial landings at V Beach on the Gallipoli peninsula proved to be a death trap and so the Worcesters in the second wave were diverted to W beach. They scrambled up the cliffs to breach the wire and storm the Turkish defences without many losses. A major attack was mounted on the 28th April against the Turks in the village of Krithia but the whole terrain of narrow ravines and rocky slopes favoured the defence. The Worcesters suffered heavy casualties and gained no ground. On the 4th June the 29th launched another attack at Krithia, but the Turkish defences had been strengthened in the mean time and the attack was repelled with heavy losses. Among those killed in action was Private Samuel Freeman. He is commemorated on the Helles, Stourbridge and St. John's church Memorials.