Lance Sergeant Samuel Richardson

Lance Sergeant Samuel A. Richardson, 1st Battalion, Scots Guards. He died in hospital in Paris, France on 20th September 1914, aged 34 from wounds suffered during the Battle of the Aisne and is buried in City of Paris Cemetery, Bagneux, Paris. His Headstone is inscribed “Thy Will Be Done”. He had been born at Woolmarket in 1881 and moved to 24 Kiln Hill Berwick by 1891. He  was the son of William and Jane Richardson and the husband of Alice Gladys Richardson of 12 Haverlock Street, Chalk Farm, London and the father to four children.  At his birth the family lived at 22 Woolmarket, Berwick but later moved to Kiln Hill. For some reason Samuel attended a boarding school in Dumfries before finding employment as a shoemaker in the Spittal area.. In 1900 he enlisted in the Coldstream Guards but seven months later transferred to the Scots Guards where in 1905 was promoted Lance Corporal. In 1911 he was promoted Corporal where he was serving in Egypt at the Kasr-el-Nil barracks. At the outbreak of War he went to the Continent on the 13th August 1914 On 14th September the Battalion was in position between Troyes and Vendresse on the Aisne and suffered casualties from heavy artillery and rifle fire. 3 Officers and 16 Other Ranks were killed with 86 Other Ranks wounded. In addition 12 Other Ranks were posted missing. Samuel was wounded in the shoulder and transported 230 kms to the Majestic Hotel in Paris ( serving as a military hospital) where he died  from his wound and severe chest complications. The photos show British troops on the Aisne.