Samuel Forsyth, VC (3 April 1891 – 24 August 1918) was a New Zealand recipient of the Victoria Cross (VC), the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that could be awarded at the time to British and Commonwealth forces. Born in 1891, Forsyth enlisted with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. Serving with the New Zealand Engineers as a sapper, he participated in the Gallipoli Campaign and later fought on the Western Front. By August 1918, he was on probation to become a commissioned officer and was temporarily attached to an infantry battalion. On 24 August 1918, during the Second Battle of Bapaume, he played a key role in eliminating a machine gun nest that was holding up the advance of his battalion, but was then killed by a sniper. For this action, he was posthumously awarded the VC. Early life Samuel Forsyth was born in Wellington, New Zealand, on 3 April 1891, one of four children of Thomas Forsyth of Thorndon, who was a night watchman on the SS Maori, and his wife Grace. He attended Thorndon School and later Terrace School. After completing his education, he found employment as a gold amalgamator for the Monowai Gold Mining Company based at Thames. Forsyth participated in charity work, volunteering for the Sailor's Friend Society. He was also interested in the military and in 1910, joined the Territorial Force in which he served as a field engineer. First World War On 13 August 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War, Forsyth enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and embarked for the Middle East in October 1914 as a sapper with the New Zealand Engineers. Sappers who had served in the Territorials, like Forsyth, were part of the Field Troop, which numbered 83 personnel and was part of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade. Forsyth landed at Anzac Cove in May 1915 during the Gallipoli Campaign. In the early stages of its service in the campaign, the Field Troop was posted on Walker's Ridge where it worked on deepening the trenches there. Forsyth took sick in July 1915 with influenza but after receiving treatment in Cairo, soon returned to duty at Gallipoli. He was lightly wounded during the August offensive later that year, but remained in the front-line. Suffering from jaundice, he was medically evacuated in