Sam's nickname became 'the mad Jew' as he volunteered for the most dangerous duties. He did this to prove that Jews weren't cowardly, as he experienced some antisemitism but secretly he was scared. One day his commanding officer called him a dirty little Jew. A keen boxer, Sam thumped him in the nose and was arrested with a view to court martial and possibly being shot.

Soon after, the Germans launched an offensive and he was released to fight but an exploding shell blew him out of his trench and he was buried alive, from which he suffered with claustrophobia for the rest of his life. On being dug out, it was found he had been bayonetted in the stomach and he was invalided back home and out of the army. His body was badly scarred.

Sam was 15 when he joined the army at Stockport Armoury as they didn't ask for documents and he lied about his age. He committed to six years' service with the Cheshire Regiment Territorial Army Battalion but once he discovered the discipline involved he ran back home and hid in the attic. The military police came to find him and his sister noticed Sam's belt on a chair and sat on it. She said she suffered with her nerves for a long time afterwards as she was shaking so much.

He returned to the army and was sent to Belton Park, Grantham, Lincs for training with the Machine Gun Corps on the Western Front. It was known as the Suicide Club as few men returned. They suffered 12,498 deaths and 62.049 casualties.

He attended the infantry base at Etaples and the Machine Gun School at Camiers in France for a course on the Vickers Machine Guns, the forces main front line weapon during the Somme battles. He served in the 191st Battalion.