Name
Arthur William Smith
02/12/1894
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
31/07/1917
23
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Lance Corporal
265218
Hertfordshire 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 54 and 56.
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial in Belgium to the missing.
UK & Other Memorials
Cheshunt Town Memorial, Church of St Mary the Virgin Memorial Cheshunt, Hertfordshire Regimental Memorial, All Saints Church, Hertford, Not on the Wormley memorials, We are not aware of any memorial in Flamstead End
Pre War
Arthur William Smith was born on 2nd December 1894, in Wormley, Herts, son of Arthur Joseph Smith a Gardener and Emily Smith (nee Prime). The eldest of five children although one died later.
He was Baptised on 27th January 1895, in the Parish of Wormley, Herts.
1901 Census records Arthur Jr. aged 6, living with his parents, sisters Florence (5) and Annie (1) at “Vale Cottage” Macers Lane, Wormley, Herts.
1911 Census Arthur Jr. (16) is now employed as a nursery hand assisting his father, living with his parents, sisters Annie (11), Jessie (5) and brother Joseph (9) at 7 Stockwell Lane, Cheshunt, Herts.
Arthur Jr. enlisted at Waltham Cross, Herts, on 2 September 1912, into the Hertfordshire Regiment, 1st Bn., (Territorial Force) for 4 years. Issued with the service number 1975, later 265218 when service numbers were standardised.
His papers record him as aged 17yrs. & 9 months, living at 7 Oakley Terrace, Flamstead End, Herts, when he enlisted.
His parents later lived at The Queen Eleanor public house, in Waltham Cross, Herts.
Wartime Service
At the outbreak of war Arthur Jr. was still serving with the Hertfordshire Regiment (Territorial Force) he volunteered for overseas service on 5th August 1914.
In November 1914, the Battalion was Stationed at Bury St. Edmunds, when mobilized for war, leaving Bury St. Edmonds in two trains on 5th November, for Southampton arriving in the evening, they embarked aboard the “SS City of Chester” sailing at midnight for Le Havre, France, arriving late morning of the 6th, disembarked and marched 31/2 miles to No.2 Rest Camp.
Arthur Jr. was admitted a number of times to the Field Hospitals suffered from abscesses, trench foot, and bronchitis.
Appointed provisional Lance Corporal on 5 June 1916.
He was Killed in action on 31st July 1917, during the Battle of Pilkem Ridge, (31st July – 2nd Aug 1917), part of the Third Battle of Ypres (31st July – 10th Nov 1917) where the battalion suffered heavy casualties.
He has no known grave; he is commemorated on the Ypres (Menin Gate) Memorial to the missing in France.
Additional Information
His mother Emily received a Dependents Pension of 7/- a week from 19th February 1918, and his effects of £2-7s-1d, pay owing and his war gratuity of £14.
His Service Record has survived and is available on-line.
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Jonty Wild, Brenda Palmer
