Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

From How We Served
 
The final resting place for; - 3761 Private Samuel Barfield of Collingwood, Victoria, who at the time of his enlistment for War Service on the 19th of July 1915 had been employed as a cigar maker.

Samuel, an older enlistee then most, and without any stated previous military experience was aged 44 and a half, and was married, when he was accepted for service and allocated to reinforcements for the 23rd Battalion 1st AIF.

Shipped to Egypt for further training on the 8th of February 1916, Samuel would be then embarked for France where he arrived on the 27th of March.

Samuel was officially taken on strength with his Battalion in the field on the 24th of April 1916, and with his Unit he would go on to serve in the trenches of Northern France.

In the months that followed, Samuel would be present when his Battalion was committed to the Battle of Pozieres, and then again was present for the heavy fighting to capture Mouquet Farm.

Although not directly wounded in action, Samuel’s health nevertheless was broken by his service during these operations, and by the time these had concluded he was evacuated as sick on the 3rd of September.

On the same day he was admitted into the 4th Casualty Clearing Station, where he was diagnosed as suffering from nephritis, Samuel was then sent on for further hospitalization, with his condition marked as seriously ill due to nephritis.

Samuel was embarked for further hospitalization in England on the 14th of September, and following his arrival he was formally admitted into the 3rd London General Hospital, before being transferred over to the 3rd Auxiliary Hospital on the 16th of October.

There was to be no improvement in Samuel’s condition, and he was cited as no longer fit for duty, and began his repatriation back to Australia, departing England on the 13th of February 1917.

Following his return to Australia, Samuel whose health was still in decline due to the effects of nephritis, was formally discharged from the 1st AIF for his re-entry into civilian life on the 25th of May.

Samuel would continue to require on going medical treatment for his declining health caused by his service on the Somme, the year previously, and would be caused to be a long-term patient at Caulfield Military Hospital in the years that followed.

By 1932, Samuel’s health had declined to such a degree that he was unable to even sign his name, so as he could receive his service medal entitlements, and which his wife Hannah, would have to apply and sign for such on his behalf.

Samuel succumbed to sickness the following year whilst still under the care of the Caulfield Military Hospital, with his death recorded as taking place on the 1st of November 1933. He was aged 62.

Private Samuel Barfield of the 23rd Battalion 1st AIF, an invalided veteran of the ‘Great War’, and whose death was caused directly by his service in the trenches of Northern France during 1916 was formally laid to rest within Fawkner Memorial Park Cemetery, Victoria.