Name
Reginald Frederick Smith
8/02/1898
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
14/05/1917
19
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Second Lieutenant
London Regiment *1
15th (County of London) Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
ARRAS MEMORIAL
Bay 10.
France
Headstone Inscription
He has no Headstone. He is commemorated on the Arras Memorial in France to the missing
UK & Other Memorials
Watford Borough Roll of Honour, Watford Grammar School Memorial, Watford, Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance
Pre War
Reginald Frederick Smith, born on 8th February 1898, in Croydon, Surrey, was the eldest son of Reginald Charles Smith and Ellen Mary Smith (nee Munday), who moved to Watford from Croydon, soon after Reginald was born.
His parents married 1897 in the Alton, Hants, district. Reginald died 4 June 1955 in Bushey, Herts, aged 82; Ellen died 25 April 1962 in Watford aged 89.
Reginald was born 8 February 1898 in Croydon, Surrey, and baptised 25 September 1898 at St John the Baptist, Alresford, Hants. he had three younger siblings, Roy (Born 1902), Terence (B 1904), and Dorothy (B1907).
He attended first Alexandra Infants’ School, Watford; then Alexandra School from 9 January 1906 to 29 July 1909; finally Watford Grammar School from September 1909 to November 1915.
On the 1901 Census, aged 3 he lived in Watford, with his parents and no siblings. On the 1911 Census, aged 13 he still lived in Watford, with his parents and three siblings.
At the time of the 1911 census, he was 13, and the family had moved to 9, Salisbury Road, Watford, His father was now employed as a Motor Repairer.
Wartime Service
Reginald attested on 29th November 1915, at Lincolns Inn, London, for four years in the Territorial Force to serve in the UK, he was 17 years old, joining the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps as Private 7957.
He served at home from 29th November 1915, to 22nd November 1916, he was Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant to the 15th County of London Battalion, (Prince of Wales’ Own Civil Service Rifles) on 29th November 1916, and served on the Western Front.
He was killed in action 13 or 22 May 1917, aged 19 and is remembered with honour on the Arras Memorial in France. After the war, his parents moved to ‘Arle’, Cedar Road, Oxhey.
He was entitled to the Victory and British War medals, which were sent to his father of Watford.
Additional Information
The published Watford Grammar School Book of Remembrance entry reads: “SMITH, REGINALD FREDERICK. School period: Septem¬ber, 1909, to November, 1915. Second Lieutenant, Civil Service Rifles. Killed in action, 22nd May, 1917.”
There is a brief mention of Reginald in the Nottingham Evening Post dated 25 July 1914; an article and a Death announcement in the West Herts and Watford Observer dated 2 June 1917; plus In Memoriams in the issues dated 18 May 1918 and 17 May 1919. After his death he was recorded as the son of Mr. R. C. and Mrs. E. M. Smith, of "Arle", Cedar Rd., Oxhey, Herts. Additional information provided with kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworld.co.uk.
*1 Believed more correctly, (County of London) Bn. London Regiment (Prince of Wales’s Own Civil Service Rifles).
Acknowledgments
Stuart Osborne
Sue Carter (Research) and Watford Museum (ROH on line via www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk), Dianne Payne - www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk, Jonty Wild
