Pte 51685 Samuel Jacobson

• Age: 21
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 19th Btn
• K.I.A Friday 22nd March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

The 1901 Census shows the family living at 17, Simmons Street, Blackburn, Lancashire. Samuel's father Isaac aged 40, born in Poland in 1861 and is a tailor, his mother, Yetta, is aged 43, born 1858 in Poland and has no occupation listed. They have eight children at the time of the Census; Kate aged 15, born 1886, is a tailoress, Myer aged 13, born 1888 is a coat machinist, Harry aged 11, born 1890 and Reuben aged 9, born 1892 were all born in Manchester, Max aged 7, born 1894 in Preston, Samuel aged 5, born 1896 in Liverpool and Beatrice aged 1, born 1900 in Wolverhampton. They also have two relations at the address, Solomon Jacobson aged 25, born 1876 in Russia, Richard Silverstein aged 19, born 1882 in Germany and a boarder named Louis Abrahams aged 22, born 1879 in Poland and they are all employed as presser (tailors).

The 1911 Census shows the family living at 39 Great Orford St Liverpool. His father Isaac aged 50 is a master tailor and his wife Yetta is aged 53 and has no occupation listed. They have been married for thirty one years and have nine children. They have seven children at home at the time of the Census; Millie aged 28 is married with two children and they both live at the address, Sarah Leibson aged 7, born 1904 is at school and Walter Leibson aged 3, born 1908, Millie and Kate aged 25 are both tailoresses, Reuben aged 19 is a tailor, Max aged 17, is a hairdresser, Samuel aged 15, is a junior clerk in a fruit merchants office, Beatrice aged 11 and Hilda aged 7, born 1904 are both at school.. They also have three boarders living with them at the address, Rachel Lewis aged 18, born 1893 and Sarah Lewis aged 16, born 1895 were both born in Russia and are employed as dressmaker assistants and Michael Isaacson aged 30, born 1881 in Russia is a tailor. 

Samuel enlisted as Rifleman 4279, joining the 6th Battalion of The King's Liverpool Regiment (Liverpool Rifles). He embarked aboard the S.S. Princess Victoria from Folkestone-Boulogne on 15th July 1916 reaching the 24th Infantry Base Depot on 16th July, he then proceeded to the 11th Entrenching Battalion on 02nd August, and proceeded to the 17th Battalion K.L.R. on 05th August. He was then attached to No.4 Coy 19th Battalion K.L.R. on 10th August and was posted from 05th September 1916 to the19th Battalion K.L.R. as Private No 51685.

He was killed in action on the 22^nd March 1918, aged 21, during the German Spring Offensive.

22^nd  GERMAINE – HAM- MOYENCOURT

The battalion moved up accordingly being in position at 6:30 a.m. About 3pm the enemy attacked the left of our position and advanced on our left flank towards FLUQUIERES. At 4:30 pm an attack was launched on our front and the enemy forced his way through on our right. The remainder of the Battalion was forced to retire to south of FLUQUIERES. During this engagement the Battalion lost 11 Officers and About 21 O.R. The order was given to retire to the defences at HAM. The Battalion by this time was very weak, and passing through the 20^th Division took up positions in HAM, as ordered, getting into position at 2am.

Samuel's body was not recovered or was subsequently lost as he has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial in France.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

Soldiers Effects to his father Isaac and pension to his mother Yetta.

Samuel is also commemorated on the Liverpool Hebrew School memorial and is listed on the British Jewry Roll of Honour.

The 1921 census gives a bit more insight to the family, Father Isaac was b.1860 in Warsaw, Poland, mother Henrietta was born 1860 in Lubraniec, Poland, children Beatrice was b.1899 in Wolverhampton, and Hilda Miriam b.1903 in Blackburn, married daughter Milly Leibson b.1883 in Anglesey is with her 2 children Sarah b.1903 and Walter b.1907 both born in Blackburn. 

Grateful thanks are extended to Kevin Shannon the author of the book The Liverpool Rifles for providing details of Samuel's service with the 6th Rifles. 

We currently have no further information on Samuel Jacobson, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.