Name
George Boreham Smith
30 Apr 1896
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
24/06/1917
21
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Rifleman
474299
London Regiment *1
1st/12th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 /15 Star, British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
WANCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY
Plot I, Row A, Grave 24.
France
Headstone Inscription
REST IN THE LORD PSALM 37 - 7
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Watford Grammar School Memorial, Watford, Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance, Leavesden Asylum/Hospital War Memorial, Leavesden, Not on the Bushey memorials
Pre War
Born in Bushey on 30 April 1896, George Boreham was the son of Thomas Bryant Smith and his third wife Martha Boreham. Thomas and Martha were married in the first quarter of 1894 in the registration district of Chertsey. Thomas second wife, Ann Elizabeth Gardiner, had died, aged 67, in 1893 in the Watford registration district. They had married in 1864 in the registration district of Staines.
Although George was the only son of Thomas and Martha, he had several step siblings from Thomas’ previous marriages. Thomas had been a whitesmith foreman in St Ann’s Grove, Chertsey in 1871, before moving to 68 Queens Road in Watford by 1881, where he traded as an ironmonger and whitesmith, and then on to 20-22 Queens Road (next door to Trewins) in Watford by 1891, where he owned an ironmonger shop, which he ran with his other sons Samuel Gardiner Smith and William Bryant Smith.
At the 1901 census, George was four years old and living at 1 Bushey Grove Road in Bushey with his parents and 38-year-old half-sister, Sarah J Smith. Thomas still ran his ironmongery business, and he and Martha were 66 and 46 years old respectively. Birthplaces were given as Lambeth in London for Thomas and Thorpe in Surrey for Martha.
In 1908 George attended Watford Boys’ Grammar School for a year, but then the family moved away from Hertfordshire to 48 Springfield Road, Guildford.
At the 1911 census, George was still living at home with his parents at 48 Springfield Road in Guildford. Thomas was then retired, and 14-year-old George was working as a surveyor’s clerk. Also present was a visitor, 26 years old Anne Matthews.
George’s father died, aged 78, in Watford on 2 November 1913 and was buried on 5 November in the Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford. George and his mother had returned to Bushey around this time to live at ‘Boreham Lodge’, 14 Bushey Grove Road.
Wartime Service
George enlisted in London on 13 January 1915 for the Duration of the War. He was aged 18, Church of England, and his next-of-kin was Martha of Bushey, Herts. He initially joined as Rifleman 3972 with the 9th (County of London) Battalion of the London Regiment (Queen Victoria’s Rifles) and was later transferred as Rifleman 474299 (this Serial Number was issued in the general renumbering of all Territorial Force soldiers) to the 12th (County of London) Battalion (The Rangers).
He served at Home from 13 January to 28 June 1915, when he embarked from Southampton for France. He served with the 1/9 Queen Victoria’s Rifles in the B.E.F. from 29 June to 25 December 1915, when he was sent to England, having been admitted (foot injury) to 15 Field Ambulance on 19 December and then 21 Casualty Clearing Station on 20 December 1915. Some of his treatment was at Bournemouth Military Hospital from which he was granted leave 15 -24 April 1916.
He served again at Home until 16 December 1916, when he embarked again for France, arriving at Havre on 18 December. George was attached to No 1 Entrenching Battalion on 20 Jan 1917 before being returned to Front Line duty with 1/12 battalion on 23 April 1917. He was killed in action, aged 21, on 24 June 1917.
There is brief article about, and a Death announcement for George in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 7 July 1917, plus an In Memoriam in the issue dated 21 June 1919.
There is an entry for George in the National Probate Calendar for 1917, which reads: “SMITH George Boreham of Boreham Lodge 14 Bushey Grove Road Watford Hertfordshire died 24 June 1917 in France Probate London 18 August to Martha Smith widow. Effects £80.”
George’s widowed mother died in Bushey in 1917 and nobody put his name forward for the Bushey memorial. However, an advert was taken out in the 21 June 1919 edition of the Watford Observer, which read: "In loving memory of our dear pal, George Boreham Smith, killed in action, June 24th 1917. Ever remembered by his two pals Hugh and Cecile.” A similar advert was taken out in 1920, remembered by his pals Cecile, Glad and Hugh.
Additional Information
Miss N. Matthews of 9, Albany Road, Bexhill-on-Sea, ordered his headstone inscription: "REST IN THE LORD PSALM 37 - 7".
War Gratuity of £11 was paid to his mother and arrears of £7 13s 10d paid to Annie Matthews.
The published Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance entry reads: “SMITH, GEORGE BOREHAM. School period: March to December, 1908. Rifleman, 9th London Regiment. Killed in action, 24th June, 1917.”
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London)
Bn. London Regiment (The Rangers).
Acknowledgments
Jonty Wild, Andrew Palmer, Neil Cooper
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
