246845 Pte. William Smith British Army 10th Btn. Kings (Liverpool) Regiment from:73 St Domingo Road, Everton, Liverpool I don't know much about my great-grandfather, William Smith, only that he was born in Liverpool in November 1893 and went on to have 4 children with my great-grandmother, Harriet. Agnes & William, born before he enlisted to the army, then Bessie & Harry, born once he was discharged.
Outside of the Army, he was a fitters labourer as well as a music hall artiste and travelling showman. His family followed him up and down the country from theatre to theatre as he was booked here and there. Before last week I didn't even know William's name, today I am reading his attestation, service and discharge records for his time in the 10th and 3rd Battalions of the Kings (Liverpool) Regiment. From this I can see he was drafted on 25th of April 1916, starting life in the Army as a Private in the 10th Scottish Btn. Soon he was transferred to 3rd Scottish Btn and became a Lance Corporal. By the end of WWI he was in 1st Scottish Btn as a T/Acting Sergeant.
But more telling than this, I can also see that he was 5'7", with a 35" chest (expanded), blue eyes with scars on his forehead. I can also see he was submitted to hospital a few times due to a sceptic leg, as well as an illness I can't make out that gave him severe abdominal pain, before also spending 100 days in hospital for gonorrhoea (cleared before he returned home of course).
Unfortunately, a few years after my grandad, Harry, was born in 1921, William left his family never to be seen again. We understand he continued to perform on the stage. He may have married again and had additional children, we may never know.
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