224039 Pte. Thomas Smith British Army 7th Btn North Staffordshire Regiment from:Wolstanton, Newcastle under Lyme (d.7th Jan 1916) Thomas Smith was a 37 year old coal miner, he was married with four children. The family lived at 16 Park Avenue, West Wolstanton and attended St Margarets Church where Tom was a Chorister. Tom felt it was his duty to enlist despite his age and responsibilities. It appears he was originally rejected for military service but tried again until he was eventually accepted.
He enlisted in the 7th North Staffords on 22nd of July 1915. After a brief period of training, he was posted to his battalion which was already in Gallipoli on the 14th of November 1915. Tragically Tom only survived a mere 7 weeks before he was killed. Whilst preparations were being made for the evacuation of all the troops on the peninsula, the 7th North Staffords were in trenches which in some places were only ten to fifteen yards from Turkish trenches. On the 7th January the day before the final evacuation, the Turks unleashed a violent bombardment on the Staffords positions, follower by an infantry assault. The attack was repulsed but, as usual at heavy cost. The battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel EH Walker and 43 of his men were killed with another 106 wounded. Private Tom Smith was amongst the dead.
His body was never found and he is commemorated on the Helles Memorial, close to the spot from which the ragged but gallant remaining men of the 7th North Staffords were safely evacuated on the 9th of January, 1916.
|