Herbert Smith

WWI Roll of Honour

by Lynette Wray

Herbert Smith

Military History:        

Regiment:                              
Bedfordshire Regiment

Rank:                                     
Sergeant

Service Number:                    
4/6477

Date of Enlisting:                            
7.2.1911

Date of death:                        
21.3.1918

Cemetery/ Memorial:            
Pozieres Memorial, Panel 28 and 29, Ovillers-la-Boiselle, France

UK Cemetery/Memorial:      
St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour
Ashwell Village War Memorial

Herbert enlisted at Hitchin on 6th February 1912, first serving with the Expeditionary Force and then with the 2nd Battalion of the Bedfordshire Regiment, Regimental number 4/6477.  He served in the Western European Theatre of War, France and Flanders, rising to Sergeant before being killed in action near St Quentin, France on 21st March 1918.

The local newspaper reported “Lance-corporal Herbert ‘Harry’ Smith of Silver Street was commended for service in the field. At Neuve Chapelle on 12th March 1915 he was one of a party of eight bomb-throwers who re-took a trench after 2 counter-attacks failed.” Sergeant Smith was more than once commended for his excellent work in the field.

Herbert was awarded the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

He is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial, Panel 28 and 29, Ovillers-la-Boiselle, France, the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour and the Ashwell War Memorial.

Family History:

Date of Birth:               
25.6.1892

Birth Place:                            
Ashwell, Hertfordshire

Residence:                    
Ashwell, Hertfordshire

Marriage:                     
Single

Herbert was the eldest child of George and Lilla (nee Worboys) Smith of Ashwell, Hertfordshire.  He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell and before enlisting on 7th February 1911 he was a farm labourer.

Herbert’s brother Harry was killed in action in Belgium on 17th January 1917.

Commentary:

Other references:

1915 August

Events from the pages of the Royston Crow

Lance-corporal Herbert ‘Harry’ Smith of Silver Street was commended for service in the field. At Neuve Chapelle on 12th March 1915 he was one of a party of eight bomb-throwers who re-took a trench after 2 counter-attacks failed. The picture shows him after he was promoted to sergeant.