Name
Thomas Smith
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
28/10/1918
32
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lieutenant
Nottinghamshire Yeomanry Sherwood Rangers)
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
BASRA MEMORIAL
Panel 2 and 60.
Iraq
Headstone Inscription
No Report
UK & Other Memorials
Ind. Plaque St Helens Church, Wheathampstead, Not on the Gustard Wood memorial
Pre War
Thomas was born in 1886 in Gustard Wood, Wheathampstead, to Dolphin Smith, a farmer, and Fanny Elizabeth (nee Tomson). Thomas was baptised on 6 Feb 1889 in Wheathampstead (as was his sister Dorothy). His father had come to the Wheathampstead area some time prior to 1861 from the Ramsbury area in Wiltshire. Dolphin and Fanny were married on 29 Apr 1869 in Luton.
On the 1871 census Thomas’s Parents were living at Mackrey End farm with Ellen F (born 1870). On the 1881 Census Dolphin, a farmer of 557 acres employing 16 Men & boys was living at Mackrey End farm, Wheathampstead with Fanny and their children, Alice M (born 1874), Emily Maude (born 1871) and Dolphin (born 1879).
On the 1891 Thomas, his parents, Ellen, Fanny Mabel (born 1872), Henry T (born 1882), John Montague (born 1884), and Dorothy (born 1889) were living at Mackrey End Farm.
Thomas was a boarder at Incents, Chesham Road, Berkhampsted from Sep 1899 to April 1903. On the 1901 census Thomas’s family of parents, Ellen, Alice, Henry, John M and Kathleen Olive (born 1896)
Thomas’s father died in 1902.
On the 1911 Census Thomas was a farmer, living with his sister Dorothy at Evans Farm, Sandridge, Herts. His mother together with daughters Emily Maude and Kathleen Olive were living at Fallows Green House, Sun Lane, Harpenden.
Wartime Service
Little information can be found for Thomas’s War Service. No Service Record could be found.
He was commissioned as 2nd Lieutenant and promoted to Lieutenant with Nottinghamshire (Sherwood Rangers) Yeomanry, a Territorial Force Cavalry Unit that had service in the Middle East at Gallipoli( Suvla Bay), Salonika and with Western Frontier Force in the Palestine Front.
Thomas was attached to 7th (Queens Own) Hussars who were part of 11th Cavalry Brigade, an Indian Army independent force during the Mesopotanian Campaign in 1918. They were prepared to attack the Turkish Lines at the Batttle of Shaqat (28 -29 Oct 1918), the supporting infantry were not in position and Cavalry, having to await their arrival, endured a night under continual Artillery bombardment, suffering casualties. Thomas was reported killed in action on 28 Oct 1918 (some records state died of wounds). His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the the Basra Memorial.
Additional Information
Probate of £10840 14s 1d was granted to his brother John Montague Smith.
Acknowledgments
Neil Cooper
Jonty Wild, Sarah Burns
