Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Edward Dring, a bread baker, born 1862 in Basford, Nottinghamshire (son of Thomas Dring, 1830-1901 and Sarah Bramley, 1833-1868) and his wife Sarah Agnes Dring (nee Baker, married in the April quarter of 1895 in the Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire district), born on the 27th April 1871 in Thringstone, Leicestershire and baptised on the 28th April 1872 in the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Osgathorpe, Leicestershire (daughter of George Baker, 1843 and Emma Antill, 1844). Samuel Reginald was born in the January quarter of 1896 in Shepshed, Leicestershire and baptised on the 11th March 1896 in St. Botolph’s Church, Shepshed, he had two half-blood siblings, Ada, born in the January quarter of 1890 and Liddy (Lydia), born in the October quarter of 1892 and baptised on the 8th November 1893 in St. Botolph’s Church, Shepshed, both half-blood siblings were born in Shepshed, and sibling James Bernard Baker, born in the October quarter of 1898 in Shepshed and baptised on the 27th February 1899 in St. Botolph’s Church, Shepshed, in March 1901 the family home was in Hotel Street, Coalville, Leicestershire. In April 1911 Samuel was employed as a colliery horse driver and was residing in the family home in Brook Terrace, Thringstone, together with his father a confectionary manufacturer and his mother. Samuel also had the following older half-blood siblings, Caroline, born in the April quarter of 1886 in Shepshed and baptised on the 8th November 1893 in St. Botolph’s Church, Shepshed and Harriett Elizabeth, born in the October quarter of 1887 in Shepshed and baptised on the 8th November 1893 in St. Botolph’s Church, Shepshed. Samuel’s father married Mary Ann Hayes in the January quarter of 1885 in the Loughborough, Leicestershire district, Mary was born in 1863 in Hyson Green, Nottinghamshire, and died in the 4th quarter of 1894 in Nottinghamshire aged 31. Samuel married Hannah Maria Blake in the April quarter of 1914 in the Loughborough, Leicestershire district, Hannah was born in the April quarter of 1895 in Shepshed, they resided at 40, Charnwood Road, Shepshed.
Samuel’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers. All that is known of Samuel’s military service is that he had enlisted/attested in Loughborough, Leicestershire into the Leicestershire Regiment (Territorial Force), and had been allotted the service number 4183. He is then recorded as having been posted as a Private to the 1/5th Battalion of the Leicestershire Regiment. He first entered the theatre of war in France on the 28th October 1915 to join his Battalion. With the exception of the War Diary entries, there is no information that relates to his movements during his military service, however under the Army Council Instruction of 1917 that promulgated a new numbering system for all Territorial Force units, he was allotted the service number 241468. On the 28th April 1918 Samuel was officially reported as having been killed in action, he was buried in Fouquieres Churchyard Extension, France. Samuel was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. On the 25th November 1918 Samuel’s widow was awarded a weekly Army Pension of thirteen shillings and nine pence, to commence on the 20th November 1918.Awarded
The War Diary records: 28 Apr-18 - FOUQUIERES. Enemy again shelled the village but again did only slight material damage. Transport lines and Quartermasters Stores moved to BOIS DES MONTAGNES and PRIEUR ST. PRYE FOSSE respectively. Captain and Quartermaster A. O. HORLEY to Hospital sick. At 7.30 pm Battalion paraded and marched by platoons via BETHUNE and ESSARS to LE HAMEL. Enemy opened fire suddenly with about 50 gas shells onto road just as rear of “B” Company and head of “C” Company were entering ESSARS. Three were killed outright and 35 others gassed and wounded. Shelling lasted less than 3 minutes and was too quick to allow gas masks to be put on in some cases. Battalion relieved 8th SHERWOOD FORESTERS.
On Friday May 31st 1918 The Loughborough Echo published the following article. – Pte. S. R. Dring, Leicestershire Regt., is reported killed in action on April 21st last. His wife lives in Queen-street, Shepshed, and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. T. Blake, Charnwood-road. Pte. S. R. Dring was formerly employed at the Whitwick Colliery, and he went to France about two years ago, being wounded in December 1916.