Samuel was born on 8 January 1916 in Reading, Berkshire to Polish born parents David and Millie nee Steinbock and was the youngest of nine children. Their father worked as a tailor and the family became naturalised British citizens in 1906.

In 1939 the family were living at 51 Lorne Street, Reading and Samuel was working as an assistant manager of a tailors which was providing military uniforms.

Samuel enlisted as a RAF reservist in 1940 and in 1943 he married Frances Koopman and they moved to Enfield, Middlesex. He died the following year in Brompton Hospital Sanitorium in Surrey.