Name
Alfred Smith (*1)
1892
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
04/05/1916
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
19910
Bedfordshire Regiment
6th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ST. AMAND BRITISH CEMETERY
Plot I, Row A, Grave 4.
France
Headstone Inscription
None
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, St Mary's Church Memorial, Apsley End, GB Kent & Sons (Kent Brushes) Memorial, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead Town Memorial, Not on the Boxmoor memorials
Pre War
Alfred Smith (known as Alf) was born in 1892 in Boxmoor, Herts, the son of Noah and Amelia Smith, and one of ten children, although two died in childhood. His parents both came from Buckinghamshire and their first two children, Rose and Noah were born in Leighton Buzzard, Bucks.
In 1900, the Smith family were listed in the Poor Law Records for Leighton Buzzard and by the 1901 Census his father, listed as Noah Ark Loveridge (his mother's maiden name), was in prison in St Albans. His mother, her brother James Savery, and Alfred and his siblings were living at Burnack Road, Apsley End, Hemel Hempstead.
By 1911 his father had been released from prison and the family had moved to 23 Mill Street, Apsley End, Herts. His father was working as a pedlar and Alfred was a Brush Hand at the Brush Works [G B Kent & Sons]. His brother, named Noah after his father, was working as a Mill Hand at the Paper Mill.
Alfred had been a member of the Spotted Bull Public House Quoit Club in Hemel Hempstead. His parents were still living at 23 Mill Street, Apsley End, at the time of Alfred's death.
Officially recorded as born in Boxmoor and was living in Apsley End when he enlisted in Watford.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war Alfred enlisted in Watford in October 1914, and joined the Essex Regiment, being posted to the 11th battalion for training in Sussex. He was later transferred to the 6th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment in the spring of 1915, following a request from his mother who wrote to the War Office asking for him to be transferred so that he could serve with his older brother Noah.
He was sent to France on 30 July 1915 on board the Empress Queen, arriving at Le Havre, France the following morning. The battalion spent the next few months south west of Arras in the Bienvillers and Foncquevillers region, digging trenches and being subjected to German artillery bombardment.
The new year brought cold and frosty weather, with snow in February and March. In early May the battalion was in trenches at Monchy Au Bois and on 4 May 1916, the war diary records that the battalion suffered an intense hostile bombardment followed by a raid at 3.00 a.m, which resulted in 66 casualties and 8 missing. Alfred was one of the casualties.
His brother Noah wrote home to his parents (a letter which was published in the local newspaper) giving details of the circumstances and relating how Alfred was shot in one leg and the other leg was broken. Noah managed to get his brother on to a stretcher and sent off for treatment.
Alfred died at the 49th Field Ambulance from wounds received in action, aged 24 and is buried at St Amand British Cemetery, France.
Additional Information
His mother received a war gratuity of £7 and pay owing of £5 8s 7d. She also received a pension of 8 shillings a week. His brother Noah also served with the Bedfordshire Regiment and survived the war. There are articles about Alfred in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 13 May 1916 and 20 May 1916. N.B. his first name is given as Arthur on some records. *1 With common names like “A Smith”, if no other information accompanies the memorial entry, such and regiment or date of death, then it is difficult to be certain that we have identified the correct man for the name appearing, if and when further information is found or provided, this entry may be amended.
Acknowledgments
Brenda Palmer
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Jonty Wild, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk, www.hemelheroes.com., www.hemelatwar.org.
