Name
Sydney George Smith
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/02/1917
27
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
5295
London Regiment (Queen Victoria's Rifles)
2nd/9th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
LE FERMONT MILITARY CEMETERY, RIVIERE
II. E. 6.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Not on the Rickmansworth memorials
Pre War
Sydney Smith was born in 1890 in Worlington, Devon, son of John and Augusta Smith and was baptised at East Worlington on 23rd March 1890.
In 1891 the family were living at
the School House in East Worlington where John and Augusta were schoolmaster
and schoolmistress. Sydney had 5 elder sisters all of whom were born in Devon.
John and Augusta were both born in Yorkshire and the 1901 census shows them
living at Bulmer in Yorkshire, John being described as schoolmaster, pensioned.
There was another younger daughter, Laura, in the family. In 1911 John and
Augusta and their youngest daughter, Laura, were living at Wandale House,
Bulmer Yorkshire. Sydney Smith, aged 21 and born in West Worlington, Devon was
living at 65 Northumberland Road, Southampton in 1911, boarding with Mary Jane
Rickmans and working as a seedsman, later living in Clapham. His parents later
lived at The Cottage, High Street Rickmansworth.
Wartime Service
The London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) 2nd/9th
Bn was formed in London in August 1914.
They landed at Le Havre on 4 February 1917. The War diaries tell that from
19-25 February 1917 they were in billets in Grenas for Anti-gas test training,
moving on 26 February to Guadiempre. On the 27 February they moved to billets
in Riviere and A Company proceeded to Wailly to relieve the W. Riding Regiment.
However, no mention is made of any casualties at that time.
The CWGC says that Rifleman Sydney Smith was killed in action.
Additional Information
The inscription on his gravestone reads: A loving son a brother so kind a beautiful memory left behind.
Acknowledgments
Pat Hamilton
Malcolm Lennox
