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Private Samuel Pugh
66517 8th Labour Company, The King's Liverpool Regiment
(later transferred to (43542) 73rd Company) Died 25 July 1917
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Private Samuel Pugh was born in (1881?) in Barton, a hamlet a couple of miles east of Farndon. It is possible he was the son of James and Sarah Pugh of Barton, but this yet to be confirmed. He enlisted at Chester and joined the ranks of the King's Liverpool Regiment attached to the 8th Labour Company.
He served in Belgium, on the Ypres Salient and died on 25 July 1917 during the preparations for the Third Battle of Ypres.
Charles and George Pugh of Barton also served in the war, Charles in the Kings Shropshire Light Infantry and George in the Training Battalion. Both men survived the war, and may be brothers of Samuel.
Left: the Cock o' Barton Inn on the top of Barton Hill
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 Above: modern map showing relationship between Farndon and the hamlet of Barton |
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Memorial to the King's Liverpool Regiment, St.John's Gardens, Liverpool |
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8th Labour Company, The King's Liverpool Regiment
As casualties began to reach massive proprotions, conscription was introduced in February 1916. To begin with only single men and childless widowers aged 18 to 41 were called up, but by 25th May this was expanded to include married men.
Samuel probably joined the army after May 1916. Labour Companies were being formed by the British Army by this time and duties were originally carried out in the UK, and then in Belgium and France. Usually, the men in these companies were made up of men who were medically not fit enough to serve in front line units or were possibly too old.
In the north west the King's Liverpool Regiment formed a number of such companies
Research continues into his life in Farndon and his war record. |
Mendinghem Military Cemetery, Ypres
Samuel was buried in Mendinghem Military Cemetery is located 17 Kms north-west of Ypres (Ieper)
town centre on the N308 connecting Ieper to Poperinge and on to Oost-Cappel.
The cemetery is located 500 metres beyond
the village of Proven, near Poperinge. Mendinghem, like Dozinghem and Bandaghem, were the popular names given by the troops to
groups of casualty clearing stations posted to this area during the First World War.
In July 1916, the 46th (1st/1st Wessex) Casualty Clearing Station was opened at Proven
and this site was chosen for its cemetery. The first burials took place in August 1916.
In July 1917, at the time of Samuel's death, four further clearing stations arrived at Proven in readiness for the forthcoming
Allied offensive on this front and three of them, the 46th, 12th and 64th, stayed until 1918.
From May to July 1918, while the German offensive was at its height, field ambulances were
posted at Proven. The cemetery was closed (except for one later burial) in September 1918.
There are now 2,391 Commonwealth burials of the First World War in this cemetery and 52
German war graves.
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Plan of Mendinhem Military Cemetery |
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Commonwealth War Graves around the Ypres Salient
Mendinghem is numbered 43 to the north west (click to enlarge) |
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