Ernest William Smith

Name

Ernest William Smith
12th April 1885

Conflict

First World War

Date of Death / Age

31/12/1918
33

Rank, Service Number & Service Details

Private
33635
Duke of Wellington's (West Riding Regiment)
1st/5th Bn.

Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards

British War and Victory medals

Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country

HITCHIN CEMETERY
North East Grave 628
United Kingdom

Headstone Inscription

Not Researched

UK & Other Memorials

Hitchin Town Memorial, St Mary's Church Roll of Honour (Book), Hitchin, British Schools Museum Memorial, Hitchin

Pre War

Ernest was the son of William and Mary Smith. He had been born in Hitchin on the 12th April 1885 and educated at the British Schools in Hitchin. 

In 1891 the family were living at 52 Dacre Road, Hitchin which remain their address in the following censuses. Present were both parents: William (38) and Mary (37), with William working as a railway worker for GNR. Their children were: Bertram (10), Lilian (7), Ernest (5), Sidney (3) and Gertrude at 4 months.

After leaving school he was employed by the Great Northern Railway. He seems to have been a passenger brakeman.

By 1901 Ernest would have been 15 and was absent from the family home. Both parents were present, William working as a railway points shunter and Mary as a launderer.

He married Mary Catherine Smith (nee Nash, b 29/5/1882, (daughter of Isaac Nash) in St. Michael's church, Wood Green, London on the 21st March 1909. They had one daughter, Lilian Maud, who was born on the 11th August 1910 and their home was at 52, Westfield Ave, Hornsey in London.

In 1911 they were at that address, Ernest was a railway passenger guard for GNR. The census recorded they had been married for 2 years with 1 child. Also present was Mary’s mother Elizabeth (49), a widow and monthly nurse.

In the same census his parents were still at 52 Dacre Road, Hitchin, Herts., and had had been married for 31 years with 5 children, all living. 

Ernest enlisted, probably conscripted, on 6 June 1916 at Mill Hill. He was still living at 52 Westfield Road, Hornsey Middlesex, working as a railway guard, becoming Private 33635 in the Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment. 

He was described and was 31 years and 2 months old, 5’ 5 ½” tall and was not mobilized until 6 June 1917.

Wartime Service

He was posted to the Reserve Army 3rd Regiment 7 June 1917. Then, after training, posted again on 21 January 1918, then to the 3rd Bn, The Queen’s Regt. (Royal West Surrey Regiment) on 7 June 1917 with the regimental number 60033. He served in France from the 29 January 1918 and was transferred to the l/5th Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment and held the Number 33635.

He was reported wounded and missing on 21 July 1918 but had been taken as prisoner of war. The family probably did not know this, and they made enquiries of the British Red Cross & Order of St John Enquiry List on 20 November 1918.

He had been wounded in the arm and in October, whilst in Germany, he contracted nephritis. He suffered for two-months before being repatriated on the 6th December 1918 to the United Kingdom and was then transferred to the 2nd Scottish General Hospital in Edinburgh. He died of nephritis aggravated by the wounds and the privations he had sustained whilst a prisoner of war. He wife was with him when he died.

His body was brought to Hitchin and the funeral took place at St. Saviours church, the vicar was Rev. G. Be. Gainsford and he was  buried in Hitchin Cemetery Grave NE 628. His gravestone states that he was a returned prisoner of war.

Additional Information

After his death his personal effects were sent to his widow, these included hairbrush, toothbrush, 2 combs, shaving brush, mirror, razor in case, holdall, toothpaste and pencil – the were signed for on May 27th, 1919.

After his death £10 9s 0d pay owing was authorised to go to his widow on 13 May 1919. Later, a war gratuity of £20 17s 11d as authorised to be paid to her on 7 October 1919.

His pension cards record Mary Catherine, his widow, as his next of kin, living at 52 Westfield Road, Hornsey, London. She was awarded a grant of £6 on 10 June 1919 and then a pension of 20s 5d a week from 7 July 1919, for her and their child Lilian Maud (b 11/8/1909).

Ernest's headstone (not CWGC) bears the inscription:

Acknowledgments

Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild