Name
John Odell Smith
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
06/02/1916
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
1777
Hertfordshire Regiment
1st Bn.
4 Coy.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
Not Yet Researched
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
CUINCHY COMMUNAL CEMETERY
II. D. 14.
France
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
Hitchin Town Memorial, 4 Co' Hertfordshire Reg' Territorials’ Memorial, Hitchin, Holy Saviour Church War Memorial, Radcliffe Rd., Hitchin, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford
Pre War
John was born in 1894, the son of Joseph Seth Smith and Mary Ann Smith and born in Arlesey, Bedfordshire
In 1891 John's father was recorded as Seth. With his wife and two children Henry and Thomas were living in London. By 1901 the family; parents and Henry Seth and Thomas James, John Odell, Louisa and Selina had moved to 43 Florence Street in Hitchin and by 1911 the family were living at 118, Nightingale Road, Hitchin. The family then consisted of his parents, older siblings: Henry Seth and Thomas James and younger siblings Helen Allen, Dorothy May and Priscilla Mary. Two children appear to be missing and may have died, but confusingly the census records them have in sven children, six living and two as died, but that is crossed out and amended to one. John's father and two older brothers were house painters and John an apprentice in the same trade. On
John is recorded as born, enlisting and resident in Hitchin.
Wartime Service
He was allocated Regimental Number 1777. He was killed in action serving in France. He was in No. 4 Company of the Regiment which was a Territorial Army unit.
At the time of his death this was part of the 4th (Guards) Brigade in the 2nd Division. The Battalion came to be known unofficially as the ‘Herts Guards’. This was at the start of the Hertfordshires’ first offensive battle when the 4th Guards Brigade attacked the Brickfields at Cuinchy. Casualties were not heavy and a congratulatory message was received from the Commander of the 2nd Division.
He was buried in Plot 2, Row D, Grave 14 in the Cuinchy Communal Cemetery in France.
Acknowledgments
Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild
