We have very little here about Yeoman Warder Samuel Reeves (203) and I cannot find any military documents for him.  What I do know is Samuel was born 24 February 1883 in Whitton, Middlesex, his father was George Reeves (B 1844 d 1852) and Mother Mary Ann Elizabeth nee Reynold (b 1844 d 1905) he was one of seven children.

 It is unclear when he joined the Army probably between 1903/04, he enlisted into the Royal Army Medical Corp as a cook, and he spent most of his time in Aldershot but also served in Blackpool and Cookham, his only overseas posting was St Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean.

On the 21 April 1915 he is Initiated into The Aldershot Camp Freemason Lodge 1331 giving the rank of Sergeant.
He married Beatrice Annie Barker, born 21 Sep 1885 in  King’s Somborne, Hampshire, she passed away 25 Oct 1945 in Hillingdon aged 60.

 

They had nine children

1. Albert Edward George was born on 26 June 1909 in King’s Somborne, Hampshire.

Samuel and his wife Beatrice

2. Cecil Arthur was born in July 1911 in Farnham, Surrey. D 8 Oct 1934
3. Samuel born and died 1911
4. Victor Samuel was born on 11 May 1913 in Farnham, Surrey. D 25 Apr 1946
5. Norman Barker was born on 22 March 1915 in Farnham, Surrey.
6. Terence A was born in January 1917 in Farnham, Surrey.
7. Absie Irene was born on 4 March 1919 in Lancashire, Lancashire.
8. DENNIS WILFRED was born on 11 March 1926. D 1928
9. Wallace Edgar was born in 1930. D 2011

Samuels’ military documents show him on discharge working in the Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital Millbank (Near Tate Gallery) although his family have said his last posting was an Army recruiting position at Great Scotland Yard.  He retired early 1924, and then opened a café at 45 Lower Kennington Lane, opposite the Police Station.    Part of the business was to provide tea and bread and dripping to the prisoners which probably did not tax his culinary skills.

The only medals he has were the Long Service and Good Conduct (LS&GC)

He became a Yeoman Warder at the Tower on the 21 January 1931 replacing Arthur Nunn who passed away on the 30 December 1929. He moved into the Tower 11 May 1934, to No. 11 The Casemates (East Casemates).  Then around the 21 October 1937 he moved into The North Bastion.

Its looks like The North Bastion was two houses and Samuel got the larger one, in the lower part of the Tower and the second house on the top floor was the home to James Charles Chester, and his wife Ada Francis nee Lunn and her mother Charles mother in law was also living with them Lily Francis Lunn.  Charles worked for the MOD as an electrician in the cabinet war rooms.

No. 10 the Casemates was the Home of Mr Trott the Keeper of the Crown Jewels.

World War two starts on the 1 September 1939 and the bombing of London began in 1940, the North of the Tower around the North Bastion seems to have a number of bombs lands in the Moat, 10 & 11 September  bombs land near the Bastion 1 October 1940 East of the North Bastion, also another bomb just missed the White Tower,  3 October HE bomb lands to the West of the Bastion fracturing the wall between No. 10 and the Bastion, damaging the Bastion.   However,  on the 5 October 1940 a bomb hits the Bastion, with the damage already caused on the 3 October, the West part of the Bastion collapses killing Lily Francis Lunn instantly, Samuel was badly injured trapped under rubble, while the Army were clearing the rubble and moving him to safety a beam fell onto his head and killed him.

Samuel was the only Yeoman Warder casuilty in the War.

Bombs landing around the North Bastion in 1940