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Pte. Samuel Ignatius Lyon
British Army 10th (Scottish) Btn. King's Liverpool Regiment
from:125 Hornby Road, Blackpool
(d.20th Aug 1916)
I have long had in my possession the brass plaque recognising the death of my great uncle, Private Samuel Ignatius Lyon who enrolled 15th February 1916, aged 36yrs, to the 10th (Scottish) Battalion, Kings Liverpool Regiment. In one place his war records show his birthplace as Scotland rather than Preston but we are unlikely to ever unravel the reason for that.
After a period of training Samuel Ignatius travelled, on 14th July 1916 Folkestone to Boulougne, is transferred to, and proceeded to, 13th Kings on 26th July and is said to have served in 'France and Flanders'. 25 days later he is dead. As part of 'The Big Push' started July 1st, various King's Liverpool battalions were involved in 5 separate attacks on Guillemont, just east of the Somme river, that eventually resulted in capturing the position at Guillemont on September 3rd. Records for the 13th Battalion show that, on the 16th Aug 1916, they made an attack on the village of Guillemont. The attack failed with heavy casualties due to poor preparation. One of the casualties was CSM John Burns, killed whilst leading his men in to the attack.
On August 16th Samuel is recorded as wounded in action at what probably is a Field Dressing Station. He reaches 5th Casualty Clearing Station at Corbie on 17th, then on to the 5th General Hospital at Rouen by 18th August shown with 'Wound Skull (Fracture)' and he dies on 20th August aged 37.
I have a photograph of his grave at St Sever Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Rouen, France, where more than 11,000 graves exist. At its base is an epitaph: 'In loving memory of our Sam from his mother, sisters and brothers'.
My Dad wanted to name me Paul Ignatius Lyon in respect of Sam but the initials put him off the idea.
