In 1901, aged 16, he was a Gentleman Cadet in Woolwich.
He was in the Royal Horse Artillery and then the Royal Field Artillery.
In 1912, he was the Adjutant of the 3rd Northumbrian Brigade
On the 9th April 1915 he married Dorothy Gladys Jones at St James Church, Westminster. The witnesses were his cousin J. R. (ie John Rookhurst) Platt and Sarah Cawley Jones.
On the 17th April 1915 he entrained along with the 3rd Northumbrian Brigade, at Newcastle upon Tyne arriving at Southampton where they took a ship to Le Havre arriving on the 19th April.
On the 25th April 1915 5am, Arrived at Ratte Hot Inn, Brigade Headquarters Trappist Monastery. Position of area 2.38E 50.51 North
19th May, Brigade ordered to report CRA 27th Div artillery Ypres.
CRA 27th Div ordered 1 Battery to take up position in action Ref Sheet 28 NW I.15.B. Remaining Batteries reserve at WATOV. Armour column & wagon lines on POPERINGHE VLAMERTINGHE road south of railway.
20th May, 3rd Div Battery took up position - Brigage HQ at Krustraat.
24th May, Battery opened fire against German attack 3am - on zone Menin Road - Stirling Castle - expending 891 rounds.
Owing to short range of guns, battery was well forward of artillery line and when Germans advanced to within 1500 yards, guns were taken out of action and relieved to wagon line having almost exhausted ammunition at 1pm.
Casualties - Wounded Captain & Adjutant S R Radcliffe. 5 gunners.
After being wounded at Ypres on May 24th 1915, he was invalided home.
30-7-1915 - Disembarkation.
On the 20th Dec 1916, he filed for divorce as per petition below:
To The High Court of Justice
Probate Divorce
20th December 1916
The humble Petition of Samuel Roberts Radcliffe
Showeth:
1. That on the 9th of April 1915 at the parish church in the parish of St James Westminster in the county of London a ceremony of marriage was performed between your petitioner and Dorothy Gladys Radcliffe otherwise Dorothy Gladys Jones spinster.
2. That after the said ceremony of marriage your petitioner and the said Dorothy Gladys Radcliffe otherwise Dorothy Gladys Jones lived and slept together at The Savoy Hotel Strand in the county of LOndon and at divers other places - but that the said marriage has not been consummated.
3. That the said Dorothy Gladys Radcliffe otherwsie Dorothy Gladys Jones was at the date of the said ceremony of marriage and still is incapable of consummating the said marriage.
4. That your petitioner who is a Major in His Majesty's Army at present residing at the Princes Hotel Jermyn Street in the county of London and is domiciled in England.
5. That the said Dorothy Gladys Radcliffe otherwsie Dorothy Gladys Jones resides at Lechlade Manor Lechlade in the county of Gloucester.
6. That there have been no proceedings previous hereto in the Divorce Division of the High Court with reference to the said ceremony of marriage by or on behalf either of the parties thereto.
Wherefore your Petitioner prays that the said ceremony of marriage may be declared null and void and he may have such further and other relief in the promises as to this Honourable Exit may become it.
(Signed) Samuel Roberts Radcliffe
Major R.F.A.
Petition filed: 20 Dec 1916
Case set down: 2 Apr 1917
Decree Nisi: 13 Oct 1917
Ref: J 77/1274/8851, National Archives, Kew
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CLXXII Brigade, RFA joined at Deir el Belah 5-6 September 1917
He became a Major in the RFA (172nd Bde) which joined at Deir el Belah, Egypt on 5-6 September 1917.
Below is the War Diary:
172 Brigade RFA
3rd September 1917 - Brigade marched to Kantara and on arrival was divided into two brigades 389 batttery becoming A 37th Brigade & 390 B Battery 37th Brigade.
391 battery and 392 battery becoming A & B Batteries 172nd Brigade respectively.
A/37 and B/37 handed over to Lt Col G N Wyatt RFA.
4th to 16th Sept - Moved to Belah.
18th Sep - Marched into position in Abbas Sector
19th to 30th Sep - Registration carried out and the Turk harassed when & where seen.
1st to 31st October 1917 - Bombardment & harassing of the Turk.
ABBAS APEX
Nov 1st - 391 Battery (SR) & 406 (RP) supported raid.
Brigade cut wire on Middlesex Hill and at 10pm assisted in bombardment of Outpost Hill.
Nov 2nd - Operations carried out in accordance with 75th DA Warning Order No 1. The brigade forming the right group. Today was zero day. Night firing as few attacked.
Nov 3rd - 391 Battery (SR) and 406 Battery (RP) participated in bombardment as per Appendix C. SOS received at 9pm but no serious attack was made by the Turks. 11pm bombardment by 406(RP) until midnight.
Nov 4th & 5th - Brigade continued harassing Turks.
Nov 6th - At 11.30pm assisted in general bombardment of Outpost & Middlesex Hill until midnight which were then taken by infantry.
Nov 7th - Turks evacuated GAZA.
Nov 8th - Turks evacuated Tank Ridge system. F.O.Os (Forward Observation Officers) went over it to a distance of 4 miles North but failed to get in touch with the enemy. Brigade marched at 7pm & bivouacked at ALI BURUALIE.
Nov 9th - Rested.
Nov 10th - 11am, Marched to DIR SINEID getting in at 9.30pm. Hot East wind.
Nov 11th - 10am, Marched to EJJE arriving at 12 midday.
Nov 12th - Marched to BEIT DORAS.
Nov 13th - Marched & came into action supporting attack of 75th Division on KUSTINEH at 7am. At 1pm shifted position and supported attack on MESNIYEH. Bivouacked at KUSTINEH.
Nov 14th - 7am, Marched down to position a
bout 3 miles North of MESNIYEH covering 233 Infantry Brigade. Hot East wind.
Nov 15th - Rested.
Nov 16th - 2pm, Marched to Railway Junction and took up position covering 234 Brigade.
Nov 17th - Rested.
Nov 18th - 9am, 391 & 406 moved out about 1 mile NE to support attack of 4th AMD on LATRON. Attack did not materialise and batteries returned to former bivouack at 5pm.
Nov 19th 6am, Marched to LATRON. Rain fell morning & evening.
Nov 20th 6pm, Marched at 6pm in very severe rain & hailstorm for ENAB after going 3 miles were stopped and ordered to bivouack where they were.
Nov 21st, 6am - Continued march on ENAB. At 11am 406 advanced by order of XXI Corps commander & came into actrion about 2 miles further East & for one hour was 1 mile in front of the infantry it was supporting. 391 & 392 Batteries bivouacked at ENAB and 406 on its position.
Nov 22nd - Country rocky, steep & difficult for guns. Altitude of gun positions 2700 feet. Superb climate, cold at night.
Nov 23rd - General harassment of Turks. Liet G B DAWSON wounded & to hospital.
Nov 24th - Support of attack by 52 Division on Turkish positions commencing at 12.5 pm.
Nov 25th - 2pm 391 & 392 Batteries withdrawn and marched back to Railway Junction arriving there at 8pm.
Nov 27th - 391 & 392 marched to KATTRA & bivouacked there.
Nov 28th - 30th - Rested.
Dec 1917 - KATTRA KHUBEIBEH
Dec 1st - Marched to KHUBEIBEH 6 miles.
(On December 9th Turkey surrendered Jerusalem with no damage being done to the city)
Dec 10th - Marched to RAMLEH. Going very heavy.
Dec 13th - Brigade marched and came into action at BEIT KUFAH near BEIT NEBABALA.
Dec 15th - Brigade supported attack of 75th Division. Very slight opposition and operation completely successful
Dec 17th, 18th Moved to BUDROS
Dec 19th to 31st Any Turkish movement shelled, all this time the situation was extremely quiet.
Jan 1st to 31st 1918, BUDROS. No hostile fire of any kind encountered.
Feb 1st to 28th, Budros, No hostile fire.
Mar 1st to 6th, Budros, Bombardment & sniping Turks
March 7th, SHUKBAH, Brigade supported the advance of 232 Infantry Brigade to line IBANNEH-DEIR ABU MESHUL. No opposition encountered
Mar 9th, 391 Batterymoved to position North of SHUKBAH.
Mar 10th, 392 Battery, 406 Battery & Brigade HQ moved to ABUD.
Mar 12th, Brigade supported advance of 232 Inf Brigade . Brigade moved to Lubban.
Mar 13th, Lubban, Bombardment of Turks.
Mar 15th to 19th Bombardment of Turks.
Mar 23rd 391 Battery moved to position N of LUBBAN & 406 to one in WADI BALLUT.
Mar 24th to 26th - Bombardment of Turks.
Mar 27th - Brigade supported the advance of 233 Inf Brigade.
Mar 28-20, Bombardment of Turks.
Lubban
1st to 8th April 1918 - Registration & harassing the enemy
9th April - The brigade supported the attack of 232 Inf Brigade as per attached operation order but only phase 1 materialised.
10th April - The bridage supporrted further advance of 232 Inf Brigade but very little further progress was made. The enemy counter attacked in the center at 5pm but was driven off, all batteries succeeding on putting a barrage on him.
11th April - Line gained consolidated.
12th to 22nd - Registration & harassing the enemy
19th April - Major S R RADCLIFFE awarded the DSO.
22/23 April - Brigade relieved by South Africa FA Brigade & went into rest at Jewish Colony 2 miles north of LUDD.
23rd April - Major S R RADCLIFFE DSO admitted to hospital.
29th April - Brigade marched into poistions near LUBBAN.
1st May - Major S R RADCLIFFE DSO deceased.
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He received the DSO in January 1918 for the capture of Jerusalem and was Mentioned in Despatches. He died in hospital aged 33 on the 30/04/1918 and is buried in Kantara War Cemtery, Egypt. (Grave Ref: D -140).
The folowing is written on his headstone in Egypt:
Until The Day Dawn
And Shadows Flee away
Pro Patria Mori
(Mrs D Radcliffe, Lechlade Manor, Gloucester)
Source www.cwgc.org
His mother lived at Four acres, Hatch Beauchamp, Taunton, Somerset
Probate:
Radcliffe, Samuel Roberts of Four Acres, Hatch Beauchamp near Taunton, died 30 April 1918 at Kantara, Egypt. Probate London. 15 January to Eric George Claydon, solicitor. Effects £24,507 19s 8d.
References:
War Diary for 3rd Northumbrian Brigade (later 252nd Brigade, RFA) is Ref WO 95/2817 (252 Brigade, Royal Field Artillery).
War diary for 172 Brigade Royal Field Artillery, 1917 Aug. - 1919 June, National Archives,
Ref: WO 95/4684
Medal card of Radcliffe, Samuel Robert, Royal Field Artillery, Major
Ref: WO 372/16/126152
Marriage: Radcliffe Samuel R to Jones at St.Martin 1a 1503, June 1915
Source: freebmd.org.uk
Divorce Court File: 8851. Appellant: Samuel Roberts Radcliffe. Respondent: Dorothy Gladys Radcliffe otherwise Dorothy Gladys Jones. Type: Husband's petition for/of nullity [hn]. 1916.
Ref: J 77/1274/8851
The Imperial War Museum have his picture and description of his service on the back given by his mother.
IWM Catalogue number: Q 36965, PC 645
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205000408 75th Division history
1917
The Third Battle of Gaza (27 October - 7 November 1917, including the Capture of Gaza on 6-7 November)
The Capture of Junction Station(13 - 14 November 1917)
The Battle of Nabi Samweil (20 - 24 November 1917)
1918
The Battle of Tell'Asur (11 - 12 March 1918)
Source:
http://www.1914-1918.net/75div.htm Battle of Jerusalem:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Jerusalem 
