Samuel Forsyth
Died 24 Aug 1918
- Service number
- WWI 4/400 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Sergeant AWMM New Zealand Engineers, 3rd Field Company AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Samuel AWMM
- Surname
- Forsyth AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWI 4/400 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- —
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- WW1 Unknown AWMM 26 Cotterville Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- WW1 Mrs Thomas Forsyth (mother), 26 Cotterville Terrace, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 16 Oct 1914 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 4/400 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Victoria Cross (VC) AWMM
Citation: "For most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty in the attack on Grevillers, 24th August 1918. On nearing the objective, his company came under heavy machine-gun fire. Through Sergeant Forsyth's dashing leadership and total disregard of danger, three machine-gun positions were rushed and the crews taken prisoners, before they could inflict any casualties on our troops. During the subsequent advance his company came under heavy fire from several machine-guns, two of which he located by daring reconnaissance. In his endeavour to gain support from a tank he was wounded, but after having the wound bandaged he again got in contact with the tank, which, in the face of very heavy fire from machine-guns and anti-tank guns, he endeavoured to lead, with magnificent coolness, to a favourable position. The tank, however, was put out of action. Sergeant Forsyth then organised the tank crew and several of his men into a section, and led them to a position where the machine guns could be outflanked. Always under heavy fire, he directed them into positions which brought about the retirement of the enemy and enabled the advance to continue. This gallant N.C.O. was at that moment killed by a sniper. From the moment of the attack to the time of his death, Sergeant Forsyth's courage and coolness,combined with great power of initiative, proved an invaluable incentive to all who were with him, and he undoubtedly saved many casualties among his comrades." AWMM - Victory Medal AWMM
- British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victoria Cross (VC) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 Unknown AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 16 Oct 1914-03 Dec 1914 AWMM
HMNZT 3 AWMM Vessel was Maunganui AWMM Sapper AWMM New Zealand Field Engineers AWMM Main Body AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Sergeant AWMM
New Zealand Engineers, 3rd Field Company AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Samuel Forsyth was the son of Mr and Mrs Thomas Forsyth of Wellington; husband of Mary S. Forsyth, of 79 John Knox Street, Glasgow, Scotland
Victoria Cross not publicly held AWMM
About death
- Death
- 24 Aug 1918 AWMM
Age 25 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Adanac Military Cemetery, Miraumont, Somme, France AWMM I. I. 39. AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- Victoria Cross commemorative paving stone, National Memorial Aboretum, Staffordshire, EnglandPublic - Sarndra - Researcher - 29 November 2015 - personal visit
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- Dunedin, Victoria Cross winners' plaque, Queens Gardens, Dunedin, New Zealand AWMM
Sources
- External links
- New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-413067.html
Further Reference - National Archives of New Zealand, National Collection of War Art. Portrait.
http://warart.archives.govt.nz/node/582
Further Reference - Ministry for Culture and Heritage, New Zealand History online. Dunedin RSA building, formerly site of the VC winners' plaque.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/dunedin-rsa-war-memorial
Further Reference - Birkenhead (Auckland) Returned Services Association website. Victoria Cross.
http://www.birkenheadrsa.com/victoria-cross.html
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/183235/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/183235
Further Reference - New Zealand War Graves Trust
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
Further Reference
- New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page
- References
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 240 - Harper, G., & Richardson, C. (2006). In the face of the enemy: The complete history of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins NZ.
p.121-122 - Volunteers: the Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society
N.Z.E.F. VC Auctioned. (1981, December). The Volunteers., 8(3) p.14-15 - The Register of the Victoria Cross. (1997). (3rd ed.). Cheltenham, England: This England.
p. 112 - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 2: Includes portrait - McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
- Annabell, N. Official History of the New Zealand Engineers during the Great War 1914–1919. Wanganui: Evans, Cobb & Sharpe, 1927.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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