Category Archives: Battlefield Areas

H. Smythe

Alfred Sutton School War Memorial, Ypres

H. Smythe
Corporal 8254
4th Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars

 Note: Research has only revealed limited information.  The detail has come from CWGC register. It is possible the family moved to Streatly at the time of registration. However, Ancestry UK searches have revealed nothing with searches defaulting to the name Smith. I suspect the information presented does not refer to the same H. Smythe  as named on Alfred Sutton Memorial. The QOOH were a territorial mounted unit.

 H. Smythe – The son of Frank and Annie Smythe, Northlands Streatley on Thames died 16th October 1914, aged 21 years.  His name is on the La Ferte-sous-Jouare Memorial.

 The Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars were sent to France as a supporting Cavalry Unit in the early days of the war and were part of the British Expeditionary Force. They had the distinction of being the first Territorial (Yeomanry) Force to embark for France as the Cavalry of the Marines Division. The Marines were the baby of Winston Churchill who was First Lord of the Admiralty and his family had been associated with the Hussars for more than a hundred years.

 On 3rd October 1914 the Hussars were the only British force standing between the Germans and the sea, the Marines had been ordered to Antwerp.  The action there resulted in the small Belgium army escaping to fight another day although the town itself fell to the Germans.  After the action the Royal Naval Division was withdrawn and the Q.O.O.H. were recalled to England.  However, the officers of the unit, having enjoyed chasing German cavalry were reluctant to leave and all but mutinied.  The sent representatives to see the Commander-in-Chief Sir john French, pleading to be allowed to stay.  French liked their cheek and explained that whilst he could not absorb them into the official fighting force as they were not part of the official BEF, he would allow them to stay as guards for the HQ in St. Omer.  By the end of October 1914 they found themselves in action at Messines Ridge in the First Battle of Ypres. 

 It would have been in the action at the First Battle of Ypres that H. Smythe would have lost his life.  His body was probably lost or was not able to be identified hence he has no known grave and his name is commemorated on a Memorial to the Missing.

William Rowsell Smith

Commemorated name/s, Park Congregational Church War Memorial, Ypres

William Rowsell Smith
Private 33989
6th Battalion Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry

SMITH FAMILY CULVER ROAD

 

William Rowsell Smith was the son of Mr Frederick William Smith a hairdresser of The Arcade, Reading and Mrs Anne Amelia Smith of, Melrose, Culver Road, Reading.  He was one of four brothers who served during the war.

 William Smith is remembered on the grave of his parents and other family members.  He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West Vlaanderen, Belgium.  Panel 80 to 82 and 163A.

He was killed on 22nd August 1917, aged 21, during the very heavy fighting of the battle of 3rd Ypres.

 William Rowsell Smith is also commemorated on the Park Church Memorial.

Henry Leonard Smith & Percival Harold Smith

Army, Canadian, Commemorated name/s, Somme

Henry Leonard Smith
Private 425336 31st Battalion Alberta Regt.
Canadian Expeditionary Force

 Division 76

Smith HL photo

Henry Leonard Smith was the eldest son of  a Mr  Henry and Mrs Mary Ann Smith, of 19, Southampton Street, Reading.  Henry worked with his father in the family butchers shop. Henry had six other siblings who were of school age in 1911. He is commemorated on a family grave, number 16365.  Henry was wounded in Ypres according to the caption with his photograph, probably in 1915. 

 Henry Leonard Smith was finally killed in action, aged 21, on the 15th September 1916. This day marked the begging of the  3rd Phase of the Somme battle.  There was a massive allied advance along a six mile front and tanks were used for the first time.  The CEF followed the tanks into battle along the left hand of the front between Flers and Courcelette.   Although the Canadian infantry moved more quickly than the slowly moving tanks and soon overtook them, the fact that tanks were there enabled the Canadians not only to capture Courcelette but also many German prisoners who gave themselves up when they saw the lumbering iron monsters.   The battle raged throughout the rest of September and October, finally coming to an end on the 18th November 1916.

 Henry Leonard Smith is buried in the Courcelette British Cemetery. Location II.B.6.

Percival Harold Smith

who died 10th November 1918, aged 20, is commemorated on grave 16365 but no further details have been found.  A CWGC trace has not revealed any information via the Internet dure to the large number of “Smith’s” killed during the war.