Name
Albert Frederick Main Smart
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
02/11/1914
28
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
6729
Northamptonshire Regiment
1st Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
1914 (Mons) Star, British War and Victory Medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 43 and 45.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
Not Researched
UK & Other Memorials
St Michael and All Angels Church Memorial, Watford,
Rickmansworth Urban District Memorial,
St Mary's Church Memorial, Rickmansworth,
Earl's Barton War Memorial, Northamptonshire
Pre War
Albert was born 30 June 1886 in Earl’s Barton, and baptised 8 August 1886 at All Saints, Earls Barton, Northamptonshire. He was the son of Alfred and Mary Ann Smart (nee Brawn) in 1891, they were living at 60 Hill Street, Wellingborough where his parents were working in shoe manufacturing, his father being a shoe pressman and his mother, a shoe finisher. There were 2 older siblings, John aged 9 and Alice aged 7.
His parents married 1 August 1881 at All Saints, Earl’s Barton, Northants. Morris died 1908 aged 46; Mary died 1902 aged 40; both in the Wellingborough district.
On the 1891 Census, a scholar aged 4 he lived in Wellingborough, with his parents and two siblings. On the 1901 Census, aged 14 he was a visitor with his mother in Wellingborough.
On 24/06/1904 he attested for 6 years in the Northamptonshire Regiment 3rd Bn (Service number 6690) At the time he was living at Palk Road Wellingborough, working for a Mr Smith as a labourer. He was described as being 5ft 3 ins, 110lb, fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair.
In 1908 he married Ada Atkins in the Watford registration district. Ada was possibly the daughter of William and Martha Atkins, who were living in Norfolk Road in 1891. They had five children.
In 1911 Albert and Ada lived at 85 Fearnley Street, Watford with 2 children, Alice age 2 and George age 11 months and Albert was working as a general labourer.
Wartime Service
He enlisted with the Northamptonshire Regiment in Wellingborough at the outbreak of the war. The 1st Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment landed in Le Havre on 13/08/1914. The War diaries for the Northamptonshire Regiment state that on October 25th 1914 they marched to Ypres in reserve. From October 3rd to November 15th ‘the regiment was heavily engaged most of the time’ and that ‘on Nov 14th there were only two officers left and about 300 men.’
Albert’s brother, Private John Smart, was killed in action at Ypres on the following day and is also commemorated on the Rickmansworth memorials.
From the Northampton Mercury, Friday 18th December 1914:
The brothers Smart of the 1st Northants Regiment, were born in Earls Barton. Albert has been officially reported killed in October, and John has been officially reported killed about the same time. They were the nephew of Mr W Brawn of Earls Barton Old Silver Band and of Wellingborough Temperance Silver Band and many of their relatives live at Earls Barton and Wellingborough.
He was entitled to the Victory, British War and 1914 Star medals, his qualifying date being 31 August 1914, and was killed in action.
Additional Information
Unfortunately, Albert’s Service Record appears to be one that did not survive the World War Two bombing.
There is an article about Albert in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 16 January 1915, and an In Memoriam in the issue dated 28 October 1916.
Brother of Private John Smart who was killed in action in the same battalion on the following day on 3 Nov 1914 also in Ypres and who is also commemorated on these memorials.
His effects of £4 1s 10d and a War gratuity of £5 were left to his widow, Ada.
Ada remarried 1919 in the Watford district to George William BIRCH, she died 1951 in Watford aged 60, and was buried 25 January in Vicarage Road Cemetery, Watford.
Acknowledgments
Pat Hamilton
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Malcolm Lennox
