Samuel Matear likeness

Samuel Matear cap badgePrivate Samuel Matear

1st Battalion Black Watch (Royal Highlanders)
Service No: S/8327

Samuel Matear grave

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Click here for a frameable A4 print
Personal details

Family Information

Son of Mary Matear of 1b South Mains St, Coatbridge. Brother of Private Henry Matear MM of the 2nd Battalion Irish Guards who was Killed in Action on the 27/11/1917. Another brother Private Robert Matear (308118) of the Army Service Corps enlisted on the 02/02/1916, served in Italy and survived the war. Robert married Elizabeth Crawford Matear and their son James was born on the 18/11/1916. From the 1901 Census - Address - Mid Row, New Monkland - Mary Matear aged 46, Jeanie Matear aged 21, Henry Matear aged 16, John Matear aged 14, Sarah Matear aged 11, Samuel Matear aged 9, Robert Matear aged 7, Maggie Matear aged 4. Samuel's Pension was awarded to his mother Mary on the 27/07/1916.

Born / Resided

Greengairs, Airdrie / 1b South Mains St, Coatbridge.

Died

Died of Wounds on the 14/10/1915 at the 141st Field Ambulance. Wounds received at the Battle of Loos

Enlisted

Coatbridge

Employed

Miner in Rosehall Colliery.

Age

23

Buried / Remembered

Noeux-les-Mines Communal Cemetery (I. E. 15), Pas de Calais, France.

Cemetery / Memorial Information

The COMMUNAL CEMETERY at Noeux-les-Mines was used by the Commonwealth forces (in succession to the French) from June 1915 to August 1917. The earlier burials were carried out by units and field ambulances but in April 1917, the 7th Casualty Clearing Station began to use the cemetery. It contains 980 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.

Additional Information

The Battalion arrived at Le Havre on the 14/08/1914 and were part of the 1st Brigade, 1st Division. Samuel arrived in France on the 07/07/1915. The Battle of Loos, 25th September – 15th October 1915 : The first genuinely large scale British offensive action but once again only in a supporting role to a larger French attack in the Third Battle of Artois. British appeals that the ground over which they were being called upon to advance was wholly unsuitable were rejected. The Battle is historically noteworthy for the first British use of poison gas. On the 13th of October at 2.00pm : the infantry attacked (although some units started a few minutes earlier). Led by 1st Brigade, the attack of 1st Division against 1400 yards of enemy positions along the Lens-La Bassée road between Loos and Hulluch was hit by fire of increasing intensity as they approached the German wire 300 yards away. They found that only four passages through the wire had been cleared by the bombardment and despite efforts to cut through, the attack was halted. The survivors withdrew after dark; the Divisions suffered 1,200 casualties in this fruitless assault. Samuel Died of Wounds at the 141st Field Ambulance. He was 1 of 99 men from the Coatbridge Memorial who fell during and from injuries from the Battle of Loos. Samuel and his 4 brothers travelled to the USA via Canada before the war and worked as miners. One of the brothers William was killed there in the Cherry Mine disaster. The 4 remaining brothers returned to Coatbridge with Samuel enlisting at the outbreak of war. See Directory for Samuel's brother Henry's page. See photos for Samuel's Medal Index Card, his Army Register of Soldiers Effects, his Service Medal and Award Rolls x 2, his CWGC Grave Registration x 2. his Headstone Report x 2, Samuel's Pension Records x 2, the Black Watch Cap Badge and Samuel and Henry's brother Robert's Service Records x 11.

Photos
Samuel Matear Medal Index CardSamuel Matear newspaper clippingSamuel Matear newspaper clippingSamuel Matear newspaper clippingSamuel Matear remembered at homeSamuel Matear remembered at homeSamuel Matear remembered at homeSamuel Matear remembered at homeSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photoSamuel Matear additional photo

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Comments
Samuel was my sister in laws uncle, Lives in Balmoral Crescent Coatbridge
Bill Collins, Australia, 09/02/2021 6:15AM

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