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Gnr. David Benjamin Smith
British Army 15th Siege Battery Royal Garrison Artillery
from:9 Overstone Road, Hammersmith, London
(d.15th May 1918)
Fortunately, whilst sixty percent of World War 1 service records were destroyed in the WWII blitz, David Smith's army service record was one of the so called Burnt Records that survived. It shows that he enlisted at Hammersmith as an Army Reservist on the 10th of December 1915. His declared age was 25 with his given birth date of 8th October 1890 scribbled across the top of the attestation form. At the time it was recorded that David's address was 9 Overstone Road, Hammersmith and that his next of kin was his wife, Hilda Clara Smith, living at the same address. David's occupation was given as Brewer's Labourer. Other family information included in the records were David's marriage to Hilda Clara Tull, spinster, on 12th of April 1914 in Hammersmith and particulars of children, Ivy May born 18th of May 1915 in Hammersmith and later, Eileen born 1st of November 1918 in Plaistow.
David was mobilised over 4 months after enlistment, on 25th of April 1916, to serve in the rank of gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery. He was initially posted to the battalion depot. This appears to have been at Dover as there is a record of his arrival at Dover dated 27th of April 1916. On 18th May 1916 David was then posted to 29th Company. This must have been at Portsmouth as the one minor blemish on his Conduct Sheet was with this unit on 16th of June 1916. He was absent from the 7am parade, presumably overslept!
Then on the 11th of July 1916 David was posted to 179th Siege Battery. This battery was subsequently attached to the British Expeditionary Force on the 8th October 1916. A month later David disembarked in France on 9th November 1916 and was then attached to the Artillery School at Telque, in the field a week later on 18th November. He returned to his unit three weeks later on 5th December.
Continuing as a gunner in the 179th Siege Battery, six months later David was wounded in action on 1st June 1917. As a result of this he was invalided back to England, per St. Patrick a hospital ship, arriving in England on the 4th June. David's wounds were recorded as shrapnel wound right arm and right thigh. He spent a total of 126 days recovering in King George Hospital London from 4th June to 8th October 1917. This was in Stamford Street, London off Blackfriars Road, near Blackfriars Bridge. It was built as Cornwall House for H.M. Stationary Office but, being completed in the middle of WW1, was used for several years as an army hospital, known as King George's Hospital, until 1920 when occupied as government offices. On leaving hospital David then received 10 days furlough when he would have been able to go home to his wife Hilda and 2 year old daughter Ivy.
David's army medical history shows that he was fairly tall at 5ft 11 ins but slim, weighing 140 lbs at enlistment and with a chest girth of 34 inches (37 inches fully expanded). His physical development was described as good.
After his 10 days furlough, following leaving hospital, David appears to have then been posted to Ripon on the 19th October 1917, presumably in North Yorkshire, but it is not clear which unit he was then in. However, at Ripon, was the No.4 Depot (Heavy & Siege) of the Royal Garrison Artillery.
He was subsequently posted back to the B.E.F. in France on the 29th of March 1918, though again it is not clear with which unit within the R.G.A. That reference reads "1s Arty Posted to B.E.F." which may or may not mean 1st Siege Battery.
On the 13th of April 1918 David then joined the 15th Siege Battery in the field. This battery fired howitzers. It appears to have been attached 70th Brigade of the 6th Corps, but this is very much just a guess!
Sadly, only a month after joining the 15th Siege Battery, David then died on the 15th of May 1918 from wounds received in action. This was at No.6 Casualty Clearing Station, one of two then located at Pernes in northern France. This was very close to where David was subsequently buried at Pernes British Cemetery, stated as seven and a quarter miles N.N.E of St.Pol. David's service record does not give any further details on the circumstances of his death but it is likely to have been as a result of German shellfire as artillery batteries were usually sited well behind the trenches out of range of enemy machine gun and rifle fire.
David's daughter Eileen sadly never knew her father as his wife Hilda was only just over 3 months pregnant with Eileen at the time of his death. David's personal effects were dispatched to Hilda in late September 1918 to her address, then at 28 Selby Road, Plaistow. The list of those personal effects is extremely faded but included letters, a card and religious book. Hilda and her two children were awarded a widow's pension to live on of 25 shillings and five pence a week from the 25th of November 1918 by the Ministry of Pensions.
In June 1919 David's widow, Hilda, had to complete a Statement of the Names and Addresses of all the Living Relatives of the Deceased. Hilda and her two children Ivy and Eileen were then living at 28 Selby Road, Plaistow. David's father was deceased but his mother, Elizabeth Travatt, was recorded as living at 52 Cathnor Road, Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush together with David's only sibling, his sister Mary Ridout (nee Smith) aged 27. (If, as has been tentatively suggested by Mary's granddaughter Hazel McPhail (nee Ridout), that Mary may have been adopted, the form did not allow for this, giving only options of "full blood" or "half blood", so Hilda put Mary in the box for "full blood". Even if Mary was adopted, Hilda may not have been aware anyway.)
Later, in September 1921, Hilda received British War and Victory Medals granted to David for his war service. Of course, her husband had paid the ultimate sacrifice for his king and country as so many did in the Great War.
