Lance Sergeant Samuel James Caulfield

678241

Born Dunminning, Ballymena, Ireland 1890

Lived in Toronto, ON

Killed in Action – Dec 20, 1917

In honour of today, being St. Patrick’s Day, I am remembering a member of the 116th of Irish descent. Born in the north of Ireland, on a green spot on the map barely registering as a place at all, a spot called Dunmining. His name was Samuel James Caulfield. His father was a labourer from a nearby farm called Killycreen and his mother was Annie. Like many others of Irish descent at the time, in 1907 his folks left to pursue a better life and found themselves in Toronto via Belfast.

Samuel grew up to become a tall strong lad, 6 ft 1 in height. He served six years with the Royal Canadian Regiment the found a job walking the beat as a policeman. Then as the winds of war came whipping through Toronto, he accepted his duty and responded by enlisting with the 169th Battalion in January of 1916. The 169th was the overseas battalion of the 109th Regiment. Departing from Canada in late October of that year, upon arrival in England Samuel was promoted to Sergeant. He spent the next few months training before being transferred to the 116th in January of 1917. The battalion proceeded to France on Feb 11th, just in time to participate in the attack on Vimy Ridge.

In the summer of 1917, Sgt. Caulfield was slightly wounded in the neck on the attack on Fosse 4 at Avion. After a month’s convalescence he was back with his men for the advances on Hill 70 followed by slogging through the mud at Passchendaele. Recognized for his leadership skills and abilities, he was again promoted assuming the rank of Corporal on Nov 25th, 1917. However, most tragically….and I will let the Casualty Form entry tell the story of his end… detailing his final days as a man, a soldier and a promising leader in the 116th.

“On the night of Dec 20th, he was one of a party which went up to the trench in advance prior to his battalion taking the front line in the vicinity of Lens. The party was proceeding along a communication trench, he being the last one when an enemy shell exploded behind him. Several fragments which hit him in the back. He died the same night at No. 7 Casualty Cleaning Station.”

The headline simply said, “Died of Wounds”.

Lest we forget.