Samuel Vallance
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
William and Alice Maud Vessey (nee Johnson) lived in Retford throughout their married life. They produced eight children, 7 boys and 1 girl, between 1886 and 1899, all born in Retford. William worked as a railway labourer and wagon greaser. Of their children, they were going to lose two of them in the war that lay ahead. Herbert was one of them. He was the fourth child born in 1893 and when he was 17 he worked as a cattle dealer’s labourer. The other was Samuel. He was the second born. Born in 1887, he joined the army well before the declaration of the First World War as in 1911 he was serving as a Private in the China, Hong Kong area in the 1st Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. Their father and head of the family, William, died in Retford in 1916 age 53
Samuel had joined the KOYLI prior to the war and had served abroad. It is reported that he was formerly number 12576 of the Notts and Derby Regiment. He went to France on 21 May 1915 and was killed in action. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial, France. Pte S Vallance Retford Times 20 July 1917 Six sons of Mrs W Vallance of Budock’s Yard, Bridegate, Retford are serving in the Army and one has made the supreme sacrifice. The names of these gallant boys are:- Pte W Vallance, Notts and Derbys who is in France and has been twice wounded; Pte J Vallance, 3rd Leicesters, wounded in Mesopotamia; Pte E Vallance, RSF, Egypt; Corpl H Vallance, RAMC in France; Pte B Vallance, Leicesters in training at Hull. Pte S Vallance, KOYLI was killed in action in France. These brave soldiers are a credid to the town and Mrs Vallance is to be congratulated on the splendid spirit shown by her sons. The soldier who has communicated the information from the trenches writes:- “I want a few young men in Retford to read this.”
Research by Colin Dannatt
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