George Samson

George McKenzie Samson VC (7 January 1889 – 28 February 1923) was a Scottish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces, for his actions during the Gallipoli Campaign of the First World War. Samson was from Carnoustie in Angus, 26 years old, and a seaman in the Royal Naval Reserve when he was awarded the VC.

George MacKenzie Samson's grave in Bermuda

George Samson
Born	7 January 1889 Carnoustie, Forfarshire, Scotland
Died	28 February 1923(1923-02-28) (aged 34) Aboard the SS Strombus
Buried	Methodist Cemetery, St. George's, Bermuda
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Service / branch	Royal Navy
Rank	Petty officer
Unit	HMS Hussar SS River Clyde
Battles / wars	World War I
Awards	Victoria Cross Médaille militaire (France)
Other work	Merchant seaman

On 25 April 1915 during the landing at V Beach on Cape Helles, Seaman Samson, along with three other men (George Leslie Drewry, Wilfred St. Aubyn Malleson, and William Charles Williams) was assisting the commander (Edward Unwin) of their ship HMS River Clyde, at the work of securing the lighters. He worked all day under very heavy fire, attending wounded and getting out lines. He was eventually seriously wounded by Maxim fire.^[1]

While dressed in civilian clothes and on his way to a public reception in his honour, Samson was given a white feather.^[2]

He later achieved the rank of petty officer and rejoined the Merchant Navy after the war, ultimately dying of pneumonia.^[3] He is buried in the new St. George's Military Cemetery off Secretary Lane in St. George's, Bermuda. His VC is in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery in the Imperial War Museum in London.

References

1. "No. 29264". The London Gazette (Supplement). 13 August 1915. p. 8132.
2. John Glanfield, Bravest of the Brave (2005), pp. 110–12, Sutton Publishing, ISBN 0-7509-3695-9
3. "Biography - George McKenzie Samson VC". Imperial War Museum. Retrieved 4 May 2024.

Bibliography

• Snelling, Stephen (2012) [1995]. Gallipoli. VCs of the First World War. The History Press. ISBN 978-0752456539.