Name
William Smith
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
22
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
265098
Hertfordshire Regiment
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Letchworth Town Memorial, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not on the Norton memorials
Pre War
Born on Clerkenwell, Middlesex, son of the late Mr. A. L,. Smith.
He lived and enlisted in Norton, Herts, but not of the Norton Memorials. William Smith and, although a London boy by birth, moved to Letchworth Garden City when his father (a London firefighter) retired in 1909. William joined the Hertfordshire Territorials in 1911 at the age of 17, originally Private 1691.
He was 5’ 3” and slim chested, just 33”. He was working as a printer in Dent and Sons in Letchworth when he got called away to war.
Wartime Service
He started out as a Lance Corporal and ended up as a Private but that could have been for a number of different reasons.
He was killed at St Julien on 31 July 1917 when of 630 men going forward 439 became casualties.
Additional Information
The regimental memorial lists two W Smiths, one lance corporal and one private. No lance corporal has been found and there are two privates whose attribution is in doubt the this man and William Smith (4214), which man can be attributed to the Land Corporal is not yet known. A memorandum dated 16/9/1918 confirmed that there were no personal effects to provide to his family and that his father, Arthur’s address was then 8 Wimbledon Road, but not in Letchworth. Other documents confirm that the 1914 Mons Star was granted.
Acknowledgments
Carol Henderson (Great-great niece), Herts and Beds museum, Steve Fuller, Jonty Wild
