Samuel Sykes

Samuel was the son of William and Harriet Sykes of Rushley Cottage in Dore. He was born in 1893 and lived there with his eleven brothers and sisters. Harriet had fourteen children altogether, but three had died in infancy. In 1911 Samuel is recorded as being a coal and ganister miner whilst his father, William was a labourer on the highways. Only his brothers Harry and George were still at home, along with Samuel's youngest sister, Bathia.

Samuel enlisted at Chatsworth, initially into the Derbyshire Yeomanry as Private 2321. By the time of his death, killed in action in Flanders on 8th March 1917, he had been transferred to the 1/6th Battalion, Notts and Derby Regiment, otherwise known as the Sherwood Foresters, where heserved as a corporal.

Samuel is buried at Foncquevillers Military Cemetery, 18 kilometres south-west of Arras. He was 26 years old.