Smith, Harry

Harry was born on 6 June 18989 at Ashwell, Hertfordshire, the second son of George and Lilla (nee Worboys) Smith of Ashwell. He was a pupil at the Merchant Taylors School in Ashwell.

Lance-Corporal Harry Smith served with the 1^st Battalion of the Hertfordshire Regiment, Regimental Number 2900 in the Western European Theatre of War, France and Flanders. He enlisted at Hertford on 7 September 1914 and soon attained the rank of Sergeant while training in England. He was sent to France on 20 October 1916 with the Expeditionary Force, reverting back to Private as was the custom. There was an entry in the Royston Crow on 8 December 1916 stating that he had been found and was alive. He was promoted to Lance-Corporal by the time of his death west of Ypres where he was killed in action on 17 January 1917.

His Captain Thomas Gibbons wrote “He was a great loss, for he had proved himself a very brave and capable man, and he was very popular in his platoon”. In a letter his CO wrote to Harry’s parents he claimed that “Harry was shot through the heart at 9pm on 16 January. Death came instantly and he could have suffered no pain.”

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

He is buried in Vlamertinghe Military Cemetery, Ypres, Belgium, and commemorated on the St Mary’s Church Ashwell Roll of Honour and the Ashwell War Memorial.

Before enlisting he was a milkman.

Harry’s brother Herbert was killed in action in France on 21 March 1918.