Category Archives: Canadian

Leonard Smith, Cecil Trice Smith, Cornelius Smith & Archibald Smith

Division 74 Extension

Smith bros Leo Corn Cecil A

Leonard, Cornelius and Cecil Trice Smith were the sons of  Albert and Alice Smith of 42, De Beauvior Road, Reading.  They are named on the headstone of their parents grave. Grave number 17619.   Archibald Smith, who is pictured with Leonard and Cecil is assumed to be another son and to have survived the war. The 1901 census indicates that the family were living in South Western Cottages, Basingstoke and that Albert was a train carriage examiner and son Archibald, then 14, was a boiler riveter. Cecil, the oldest at 16wasnot recorded as having an occupation. Cornelius was aged 10 and Leonard was 4 years old. They had two sisters Dorcus aged 6 and Alice 2 months. 

 Leonard Smith
Rifleman R/12278
1st Battalion Kings Royal Rifle Corps

 He was reported missing on 27th July 1916, and was reported to have died on or after that date.  He was 19 years old.  His is named on the family grave along with his brothers.

Leonard Smith is commemorated on the Thiepval Memorial to the Missing, the Somme,  Pier and Face 13A & 13B.

 Cecil Trice Smith
Sergeant 132088
73rd Battalion Canadian Infantry (Quebec)

Smith CT grave

Cecil Trice Smith was married to E. M. Smith of 21 Linwood Terrace, Abingdon.  He was killed in action on 9th April 1917 and is buried in Zouave Valley Cemetery, Souchez, location I.G.1.

The Battle of Arras began on the 9th April.  The Canadians took Vimy Ridge in a well rehearsed battle which involved the use of underground tunnels to move masses of troops unseen and close to the German trenches.  Cecil Smith was killed during this action but where exactly is not clear.  He is buried in Plot I of the cemetery which was made after the Armistice by the concentration of graves from a wide area around Souchez.

Cornelius Smith
Lance Corporal WR/263564 29th Broad Gauge Company
Royal Engineers 

Smith Cornelius grave

Cornelius Smith was killed an air raid on Boulogne on 1st August 1918.  He is buried in Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille Plot II. A. 7.

 Archibald Smith
Sergeant
Canadian Expeditionary Force

 Archibald Smith is the brother of Leonard and Cecil Trice Smith.  He appears on the photograph accompanying this biography.  However, it has not been possible to find information about him when carrying out a CWGC search.  It has been assumed by the author that Archibald Smith survived the war and his brothers, Archibald’s name does not appear on the family headstone.

Slade brothers, friends Atrill, Alldridge, Beechwood – Slade

The Slade family grave, number 11233; Berkshire Family History Society classification 44L26, commemorates the names of five ‘Dear friends, Killed in Action’.  There were five Slade brothers serving in the army according to a cutting taken from the paper.  In many newspaper reports the family address is given as Brunswick Street, Reading.  It is known that the father also resided at 10, York Place, Reading.

  SLADE FAMILY

 

Alexander Alldridge DCM
CSM 9558 2nd South Lancashire Regiment

ATRILL P ATTRELLCSM CEM

 Alexander Alldridge, was the son of George Joseph and Edith Alldridge, of 9, Wood Street, Earlestown, Lancashire.  He was killed on 13th July 1916 aged 23 and is buried at Bapaume Post Military Cemetery, Albert.  Location I.E.14.

 P. F. Attrill
Serjeant 8329
2nd   Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment

 Percy Attrill   lived at 42, Brunswick Street and 101,   Brunswick Street, Reading.  He was aged   32 when he died on the 3rd July 1916.   He is buried at Lonsdale Cemetery,   Authuile, Somme.  Location VI. V.3

Percy,   who had married into the Slade family, had already served eleven years in the   army when war broke out.  The first   reports about him in ‘The Standard’, appeared in February 1915.  Percy had been wounded in the right arm   during the Battle of Aisne, September 20th 1914.  He was sent for treatment at No.5 Base  hospital and spent one week in hospital in Cambridge.  His injuries resulted in tetanus and for a  time he had lock-jaw, there was also a worry that he would loose the use of   three fingers on his right hand.  However, he obviously recovered because he was posted as missing on  July 3rd 1916.  His wife,   Edith, was seeking information about his whereabouts through out September   1916.  Later the reports also included   A.E. Slade .

 

Albert Edward Slade
Lance Corporal G/25352
16th Battalion Royal Fusiliers

SLADE FAMILY 2 BROS KIA

 Albert   E. Slade  lived at 101,  Brunswick Street, Reading.  He died on   the 23rd July 1916.  He is   buried at Delville Wood Cemetery, Longueval, Somme.  Location XXII. H.5.

At the time of the 1911 census the family were recodedasliving at 60, Weldale Street.  Albert was recorded as widower and a printers labourer,specifically a stone cleaner. His brother Ernest was recorded as an engine cleaner for the railways and brother Reginald worked in the tin factory making biscuit tins.  Albert Slade was remembered by his   father, brothers and sisters in ‘In Memoriam’, Reading Standard, 20th   July 1918.

Two years have passed and still to memory dear,
We think of him   and shed a silent tear
Friends may   think the wound is healed
But sorrow   beneath a smile if oft concealed.

S. Slade Lance Corporal
G/25352
16th Battalion   Royal Fusiliers

 S.Slade  lived at Old Didcot.  He died on the 19th April   1918.  He is buried in the St. Sever   Cemetery Extension, Rouen.  Location P.   XI. L. 10B.

Lance  Corporal Slade died as a result of gas poisoning at No.3 Stationary Hospital   France.  He was the youngest of the   Slade brothers.

 

J.F. Beechwood Private 207069 Royal Canadian Regiment

 J.F.Beechwood died on the 9th April 1917.  He is buried in La Chaudiere Military Cemetery, Vimy, Pas de Calais.  Location VII.E.19

 

William Frederick Rogers

William Frederick Rogers
Lieutenant Royal Flying Corps

Division 67
Extension

Rogers WF photo  CIMG2146

William Frederick Rogers was the son of Mr and Mrs Rogers of 65, Swainstone Road, Reading.  Both his parents were dead, his father for many years, before the death of William. His mother, Hannah Rogers died 28th February 1912, aged 52.  Lieutenant Rogers is buried with his mother in the Reading Cemetery the grave number is 15645. He is remembered as a dear brother. The lettering is very indistinct and currently the grave is not listed among the registered war graves for the cemetery.

William Rogers was born at Henley-on-Thames his family moved to Reading when he was about fourteen.  William lived in Reading for five years before emigrating to Canada where he became an engineer, later he moved to the USA where he took up motor-cycle riding. Rogers returned to England in November 1914 and joined a Canadian Regiment in London.  Later he was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps, in which he obtained his commission, initially as a Sub-Lieutenant although he very quickly rose to a full Lieutenant when his abilities were realised.  He held his pilot’s certificate three to four weeks before he died and was regarded as one of the best pilots in his squad.

Details of the death of Lieutenant Rogers were given in an article published in the Reading Chronicle on 7th January 1916.  William was aged 24 when he was killed in a flying accident whilst flying at Fort Grange, Gosport, on 28th December 1915.  The article gives details of the accident in which William Rogers lost his life:

“Lieutenant Rogers was making a flight with a new Curtiss machine when he was killed.  The machine, which was at a low altitude, being no more than 150 feet up, was seen making a nose dive to earth, and it fell heavily, burying its fore-part in the ground.  Help was quickly at hand and Lieut. Rogers was found in his machine unconscious.  He was taken out of it, but death had taken place before the doctor’s arrival.  Immediately the deceased commenced the flight it was observed that he was not comfortable in the machine, and it is said that he turned it when too near the ground.  At the inquest which was held a verdict of “Accidental death” was returned.”

The body of William Rogers was brought by train from Gosport accompanied by many of his fellow officers.   At the railway station the funeral cortège was met by relations and friends.   The coffin was covered with a Union Jack and the mourners then walked in procession to the Reading Cemetery.  The funeral service was held in the cemetery chapel and as William Rogers was interred the 3/4th  Battalion of the Royal Berkshire Regiment provided a firing party.

The paper lists the mourners as:

“ Mrs Mable Rogers (sister) Mr and Mrs Charles Rogers (brother and sister-in-law), Mr Gilbert Rogers, Mr Harold Rogers and Mr Frank Rogers (brothers), Mrs Beaumont of Bromley (aunt), Mr Harvey (cousin)……Brigadier-General J.S.A, Higgins, D.S.O. (commanding officer of the 2nd Brigade Royal Flying Corps, Gosport, Lieut.-Colonel J.H.W. Beck (Commanding 7th Wing, RFC, Gosport), officers of 7th Wing and NCO’s and mechanics of the 23rd Squad RFC.”

 Initial searches of the CWGC website provided no information about W F Rogers however, brief details were found on 5th April 2002.   The information gives only his name, rank and date of death and an indication that Lieutenant Rogers is commemorated on the UK Memorial.  The author has communicated with the CWGC to have his burial place registered officially. It is known that in due course a war pattern headstone is to be erected.