Private Samuel Sorsby
Samuel Sorsby was born on 2 November 1898 in Ecclesall Bierlow, Sheffield, Yorkshire, the last of seven children of engineer's toolsmith William Henry Sorsby and his wife Clara (nee Anderson). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 68 Guernsey Street, Sheffield, with his parents and four siblings.
Sorsby enlisted or was called-up between 1916 and 1918, although when and with which regiment is not presently known. On 11 or 12 September 1918 he was one of 56 men from various English yeomanry regiments who were compulsorily transferred to the Corps of Hussars – he was issued regimental number 81224.
On 12 September 1918 they embarked at Folkestone for Boulogne, where they were posted to the 1st North Irish Horse (V Corps Cyclist) Regiment. They joined the regiment in the field on or soon after 18 September, and were assigned to A, D and E Squadrons, joining in the fighting during the Advance to Victory offensive in the final weeks of the war.
On 22 October 1918 Sorsby was transferred to the Labour Corps (No.636099).
After the war Sorsby returned to Guernsey Road in Sheffield, where he stayed for the rest of his life. In 1923 he married May Morton. The 1939 Register shows the couple living at Guernsey Road, Samuel working as a hairdresser's assistant. He died in Sheffied in 1974.
Sorsby's medals