Private Samuel Thomas James Ridler
- Rank
- Private
- Service number
- 1036
- Unit
- 32 Battalion
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action
- Place of death
- Fromelles, France
- Date of death
- 20 July 1916
- Age
- 43
- Plaque number
- M64
- Co-located plaques
- M64A - CAPT Samuel Mills
- Dedicated by
- Family on 16 February 2013
- More information
Biography presented during plaque dedication:
Private Samuel Thomas James Ridler was the son of Samuel and Mary Ridler and was born at Newcastle on Tyne, England in 1867.
In 1873, the family consisting of three sons and three daughters and parents sailed for Australia on the Queen of Nations, arriving in Melbourne in June. Sam had some schooling in England but mainly in Victoria.
After the death of his parents, Sam and some of the family moved to the Western Australian goldfields where he worked as a miner at the Princess Royal goldmine at Dundas near Norseman.
Sam enlisted at Norseman in July 1915 and after training at Blackboy Hill Military Camp was posted to 'C' company of 32 Battalion.
C and D companies were formed in Perth and were sent to Adelaide to join the other companies that had been formed there.
They embarked for Egypt on HMAT Geelong in November 1915 and arrived there in December.
In June 1916, after further training, the battalion embarked on HMAT Transylvania at Alexandria, bound for Marseilles and they soon went into action.
Private Samuel Thomas James Ridler, service number 1036 of 32 Battalion, was killed in action at Fromelles on 20 July 1916. He was 43 years old.
It was not until 2010 that his remains were positively identified at Fromelles by DNA kindly provided from some of his relatives.
Samuel's plaque sits beside that of Captain Samuel Mills MC of 32 Battalion, who married his sister’s daughter.