234358 Pte. George Smith British Army 10th Btn. Yorks and Lancaster Regiment from:Rawmarsh, South Yorkshire (d.12th Aug 1917) George Smith signed up on 6th October 1915 at Wath-upon-Dearne. He was 30 years and three months old and a miner. He needed some dental work to join the 11th (Reserve) Battalion in Pontefract. By 26th October 1915, he was at Cannock Chase. On 17th January 1916 he was transferred to the 7th (Pioneer) Battalion, as he was a miner in his civvy life. He went overseas on 16th March 1916 into the 17th Division. They worked on trenches in the front line and were billeted in Voormeezle in Belgium.
On 1st April they moved to Bailleul. While they were there, they dug bomb pits for training purposes. On 1st May, George was injured in training when a training officer threw a bomb and he was too slow to take cover. In an enquiry it was found that the fuse in the bomb was set short, so causing an early explosion. He was sent to a casualty clearing station and then home on 6th May. He suffered metal fragments in his right arm.
While he was at home, he moved between the Regimental Depot, the 11th reserves and the 3rd battalion. It appears he was transferred to the 21st Works Company (Durham Light Infantry) on 1st December 1916. He was again transferred to the 3rd (Reserve) battalion in February.
On 26th February 1917 he embarked for Folkestone with the 10th (Reserve), then to France after being reclassed as being fit for frontline duty. They arrived at the 34th Infantry Brigade depot at Etaples. He went through the infamous bull ring camp (I wonder if he was there when there was a mutiny?).
On 4th August 1917, he was sent to Wakefield Camp, at Olocre. The 10th were in a support line at Passchendaele. They were to supply fatigue parties for the front line and also ration parties consisting of up to 400 men. It was on one of these parties that George was mortally wounded. He was transferred to 53rd CCS in Bailleul and he died of his wounds on 12th August 1917. George is buried there in the communal cemetery. Such a sad story, not much luck. He left a wife and two children, one of them just an infant.
|