Ernest William Smith

Name

Ernest William Smith

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

Not Yet Researched

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 nee Chapman of 52 (53 according to De Ruvigny's Roll of Honour) Dacre Road, Hitchin. He had been born in London on the 12th April 1885 and educated at the British Schools in Hitchin. After leaving school he was employed by the Great Northern Railway. He seems to have been a passenger brakeman.

He married Mary Catherine Smith nee Nash (daughter of Isaac Nash) in St. Michael's church, Wood Green, London on the 21st March 1908. They had one daughter, Lilian Maud, who was born on the 11th August 1910. His home was at 52, Westfield Ave, Hornsey in London.

Wartime Service

He joined the army on the 6th June 1916 and was posted to the Queen's Regiment with the Regimental Number 60033. Later he was transferred to the l/5th Duke of Wellington's (West Riding) Regiment and held the Number 33635. He seems to have been a signaller. He served in France from the 25th January 1918 until taken prisoner at Rheims in France on the 21st July 1918 after being wounded in the arm.

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 is buried in Hitchin Cemetery Grave NE 628. His gravestone states that he was a returned prisoner of war.

Additional Information

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

Acknowledgments

Adrian Dunne, David C Baines, Jonty Wild