H.G.L. Smith & E.J. Smith

Army, Canadian, Commemorated name/s, Registered War Grave

H.G.L.Smith
Company Sergeant Major 193
Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (Eastern Ontario Division)

 Division 79 Extension

Slope Smith photo Slope Smith grave

H.G.L. Smith was known as Slope and this name is inscribed on the headstone of his registered war grave.  The distinctive memorial bears a cross and an angel.  Grave number 16062.  He died on 2nd  February 1915.

 Slope’s funeral was the first military funeral in the Reading Borough and was unusual because he died of wounds in France and his body was brought back to this country as a result of his sisters endeavours.  Shortly after it was decreed that British service men would be buried in the country where they died.

 Slope Smith a native of Reading was living in Canada at the outbreak of war and came to England with the Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry.   The P.P.C.L..I. were  not part of the Canadian Expeditionary Force, in spite of its name, but part of 27th Division British Army.  The were a unique force raised by Hamilton Gault a Montreal business man.Slope Smith already had an impressive army record having served in the South African War with the Royal Horse Guards  and at one time with the 12th Lancers.  After the South African  war served as a native commissioner in NW Rhodesia.

 The Reading Chronicle on the 5th February 1915 published  an article about Slope and his wounding on the 25th January  The article included a letter to his sister.  By the time the paper was publish Slope Smith had already died although the editor did not know that fact  his wounding and rather critical state were commented upon.  The following week, 12th February the Chronicle gave details of his death and funeral. 

 

E.J. Smith
Staff Serjeant  

EJSmith photo EJSmith grave

E.J. Smith was the brother of Slope Smith, he is buried in his brother’s grave, the inscription giving his details states:

 “Died from the effects of the War”

He died on the 27th March 1923 aged 42 years.  His death occurred too late for him to be counted as an official  war casualty with his name registered by the CWGC. 

 It is known that he joined the army voluntarily but not the  regiment to which he belonged.  It is possible that his first name was Edmund. 

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.

Edgar Sidney Smith

Army, Cambrai, Commemorated name/s, Other Regiments, St. Laurence's Church

Edgar Sidney Smith
Private G/8052 6th Battalion
The Queen’s (Royal West Surrey Regiment)

 Division 2

Smith Edgar S photo

Edgar Sidney Smith, according to the commemoration on the family grave kerb stones was “Killed in Action” in France on November 30th 1917.  However, the CWGC search revealed that the date of death was 20th November 1917.  His home address is given as 33, London Road, Reading.  Early reports recorded him as missing.

 The 20th November 1917, heralded the surprise British Advance on Cambrai.  The 3rd Army under the command of Lt.-General Byng, attacked along a 10mile front, between St. Quentin and the River Scarpe.  The “Hindenburg Line” was broken and numerous villages and over 8,000 German prisoners were captured.  The outstanding feature of this advance on Cambrai was that it was not preceded by any preliminary bombardment, the British relied entirely on the use of tanks to break down the dense masses of the enemy’s wire.  Though the extreme limits of the attack were Epehy and Fountaine, places some thirty miles apart, the main attack was concentrated on the front between the Bapaume-Cambrai and P¾ronne roads.  Having quietly accumulated a large number of tanks in this section, at the pre-arranged moment early in the morning these moved forward, the infantry following in their wake.  The novelty and daring of the manoeuvre took the Germans by surprise, and the “Hindenburg line,” considered by them as impregnable, was swiftly penetrated to a depth of several miles by the British.

 In the ten days after the initial attack the British consolidated along the front with particularly severe fighting taking place around the village and wood of Bourlon.  There was a strong German counter attack on the 25th November and heavy shelling of the wood on the 28th November.  The 30th November brought a successful German counterattack which penetrated British positions and Bourlon Wood was eventually evacuated by the British on the 4th December.  The Battle of Cambrai officially ended on 7th December 1917.

Edgar Smith is commemorated on the Cambrai Memorial to the Missing, panel 3.  The inscription on the Memorial states:

TO THE GLORY OF GOD AND TO THE ENDURING MEMORY OF 7048 OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE FORCES OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE WHO FELL AT THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI BETWEEN THE 20TH NOVEMBER AND THE 3RD DECEMBER 1917, WHOSE NAMES ARE HERE RECORDED BUT TO WHOM THE FORTUNES OF WAR DENIED THE KNOWN AND HOUNOURED BURIAL GIVEN TO THEIR COMRADES IN DEATH.