PRIVATE SAMUEL CHARLES POLLEY, U.S. ARMY

January 31, 1892 (Norwalk, CT) – November 19, 1967 (Norwalk, CT)
Married to Ida Litoff on April 7, 1929 in New Haven, Connecticut
Three children; a son, Benjamin (1930-2017), and two daughters, Celia (1931-2015) and Dorothy (1938-).
Last local address: 135 Stuart Avenue, Norwalk
Enlisted on December 17, 1917
Unit: 26th Division (Yankee Division), 102nd Infantry Regiment, HQ Company

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Was a dance instructor prior to joining the service.

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Photo contributed by a grandson, Barry Polley.

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Wounded severely on November 3, 1918. Awarded the Purple Heart Medal.

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After the service, served as Commander of the Yankee Division’s Norwalk Post for several terms, Commander of Post 141 of the Jewish War Veterans organization, and President of the Commuters Garage Company. Owner of Hank’s Broadway Novelty Store at 5 Railroad Avenue, then 104 Washington Street.

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From The Norwalk Hour November 16, 1932

SAMUEL POLLEY GETS PURPLE HEART MEDAL

Samuel C. Polley, Senior Vice Commander of the Yankee Division Club, has been presented with the Purple Heart Medal by the War Department. The medal was presented for military merit and wounds received in the Argonne Woods battle on November 1, 1918. Mr. Polley saw nearly 18 months of overseas service during the war.

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From The Norwalk Hour November 21, 1967

SAMUEL C. POLLEY, VETERAN, MERCHANT

Samuel C. Polley, 75, of 135 Stuart Avenue who served with a headquarters unit of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, 26th Yankee Division, and was gassed and wounded in World War I, died suddenly at his home Sunday morning from a coronary attack. He was the husband of Mrs. Ida Litoff Polley. Besides his wife, Mr. Polley is survived by a son, Benjamin Polley of this city; two daughters, Miss Dorothy Polley and Miss Celia Polley, both of New York City; two grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Max Schachter of this city and a brother, Manuel Polley of Miami, Florida. Services were held at 1:30 p.m. Monday from the Ganung Funeral Home, 84 South Main Street, with Rabbi Israel Yavne of Beth Israel Synagogue, officiating. The interment took place in Independent Hebrew Cemetery. Frank C. Godfrey Post, American Legion, Jewish War Veterans Post, and the Yankee Division Veterans Association were represented by delegations at the service. Pallbearers were Leonard Abramson, Herman Zeitlin, Samuel Finkelstein, Irwin Yedon, Sheldon Miller, State Rep. Bernard Breeman, and Attorney George J. Lepofsky. Mr. Polley was born in Norwalk, the son of the late Barney and Anna Polley. He was the proprietor of Hank’s Smoke Shop at 5 Railroad Avenue, recently moving to 104 Washington Street because of re-development. He had operated a service station for about 25 years at the corner of Franklin and Monroe Streets. Earlier he had operated a dancing studio in the city. He was a member of the Jewish War Veterans, Yankee Division, and the American Legion, and was a member of the Independent Hebrew Society. He had been a member of the old Roton Point Volunteer Life Guards Association. Mr. Polley enlisted with the New Haven “Blues”, the famed 102nd, in 1917, and was assigned to the Signal Section of Headquarters Company. Mr. Polley was in the Battle of Seicheprey. Mr. Polley was in the attack on Marchevielle in which a number of Norwalk soldiers were reported missing or dead. He, too, was thought missing in action. A letter, dated September 28, 1918, from France, established that he had been removed to the hospital at Limouges. Mr. Polley was active for many years in the Yankee Division Association with his comrades of the 102nd.

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Buried in Independent Hebrew Cemetery, 135 Richards Avenue, Norwalk, Connecticut; Section A, Row 4, Plot 33. Photo by webmaster.

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