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Lonely grave - Pvt E Smith 140188


Guy Ellis

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I found the grace of Edward Smith, who served with 3rd Bn Canadian Infantry (Central Ontario Regiment), in the small Cotswold village of Randwick in the ancient churchyard.

Some interesting issues that raised my interest and I wondered if anyone could help.

He was the son of a local couple, so it was strange that he was enlisted in the Canadian Infantry. I have seen his registration papers and they state his address as Randwick UK, but are Canadian Army documents.

Any explantion from the forum? Of course they could have been Canadian, but fairly unlikely as his father was a cloth worker (as were many of the residents in the villages around) and probably not the kind of people who would have immigrated or emmigrated

Secondly his grave is an official CWGC type headstone, the only one in Randwick. It is stated he 'Died in the War - Unknown cause" - so did he die at the front and was transported back - unlikely I would say, or he was sent back to the UK as ill and died in Randwick from a sickness/disease caught in the trenches - if infact he ever got there.

Unfortantely 3Bn war diaries are not digitised so would anyone have any pointers for me please

I have written off for his service record or extract of - so that may have more data but often times this is very brief

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Lots of Britiah lads were in Canada and enlisted there, it is likely that he died of an illness (if wounds it would be stated i would have thought) in the UK and buried at home . If he died in France/Flander it is very unlikely (improbable) he would have been returned to the UK. I beleive he would have been transported to his home at the expence of the family. Unfair but that was how it was.

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Remember you could actually join the CEF here in the UK, I know Liverpool had a large office, men joining for a variety of reasons, the pay being one!

matt

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GE

He actually enlisted,and was medically examined, in Toronto Ontario on 26 July 1915.

Born 12 NOV 1884 in Gloucestershire. His attestation is here:

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/databas...p;id_nbr=236255

Sotonmate

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Bit of a long shot Guy but it could be worth talking to some of the locals if your near the Churchyard again...as a lorry driver i like to stop off and look around the churchyards..and many a time ive talked to the locals about people in the churchyard,obviously you have to be abit diplomatic but ime sure someone in that area may know what happened to this soldier...would be nice to know.

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GE

Maybe you can track down the local newspaper of the time to see if his death/burial is reported.

Stonehouse or Stroud may be the best line to take.

Sotonmate

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Hi Guy. The 3rd Bn war diaries are available. In the Unit Name search box in this link ...... Type: 3rd Canadian Infantry Battalion

http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/archivi...02015202_e.html

The address thing is not that unusual. (If you are talking about the one on his attestation paper). Many UK men who were in Canada at the time would have given a UK address. My 2 CEF relatives gave a Lisburn and a Belfast address. The thing to remember about attestation papers is that they are not being asked what their address is, they are being asked: What is your next of Kins address?

Welcome to the forum.

Kind regards.

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Thank you to everyone who has helped - really fantastic

I will continue my research and when I think I have it done I will repost here

Best regards

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Presuming the likelihood was that Edward Smith died in the UK if he was buried there - I went looking for a death cert reference for Guy so that he could purchase it and find out place/cause of death if he was interested.

Checking the dates though suggests Edward may not have been truthful about his date of birth and there is no death registration for the quarter (Oct/nov/Dec 1916) for a 38 year old Edward Smith

CWGC - says 38 so born 1878 ish - presumably based on information from his family

He appears on the 1881 census as 3 years old and 1891 as 12 years old - so again 1878/1879

Canadian Virtual War Memorial has same date of birth as Attestation Papers - November 12, 1884 - which would make his reported age 31 if his death was registered based on information in his records

The closest possibility would be

Smith Edward 33 Elham 2a 1535

Elham is in Kent - this is how FreeBMD describes the area - http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/genuki/reg/districts/elham.html

Perhaps Guy is prepared to gamble GBP7.00 to get this death certificate?

Good Luck

SueK

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CWGC stated that Edward Smith's parents were Levi & Prudence Smith, of Randwick, Gloucestershire

He definitely misrepresented his age on the CEF documents. The 1881 Census, England says:

Edward Smith, age 3, birthplace Randwick (birthdate: about 1878)

parents: Levi & Prudence Smith

1901 family street address: The Lagger, Randwick

Edward had 3 older brothers (Denis, 13; Henry, 10; Frank, 8) and 1 younger brother (Walter, age in months)

Given his death date of 6 October 1916, the Kent death register listing Esskay stated is the

closest match in the BMD for England & Wales.

The Census data DO prove that Smith misstated his age by 6 years; if November was his birth month,

he may have been born in November, 1877 and his birth may have been registered during the

4th quarter of 1877 or the first quarter of 1878.

regards, Trelawney

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