Jump to content
Free downloads from TNA ×
The Great War (1914-1918) Forum

Remembered Today:

28933 Pte. Robert Percy Smith 8 Gloucestershire Reg.


Ancre1917

Recommended Posts

CWGC has Pte RP Smith 8 Glos regiment  being killed on 5 August 1917, but there's nothing on his MIC apparently.  I'm trying to put a case together for a 2nd Lt in 8 North Staffs with the same surname and initials whose grave may have got mixed up with Pte. Smith's.  The relevant GRRF shows the body in Somer Farm cemetery A 27 was originally listed as a 2nd Lt., but this was crossed out and the grave was allocated to the private. 2nd Lt. Ralph Pritchard Smith now has a special memorial showing that he was known to be buried in the cemetery. But where is he?  Luc tells me that there's only one UBS whose date of death is shown as  */10/1918 buried in  Somer farm A10, so that can't belong to 2nd Lt Smith.

 

Can anyone help give a date for Pte. Smith's death, either confirming it or offering an alternative?  The 8 Glos war diary shows three  men killed on 5 Aug, but there are four in the cemetery in adjacent graves showing that date.

 

2nd Lt. R.P. Smith was the brother of Lt. Harold Rymer Smith 2/6 North Staffs whose grave will be rededicated next year (see posts below)

Thanks to Luc for giving me the idea to post this request here

 

Richard 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Name:Robert Percy Smith

Gender:Male

Death Date:5 Aug 1917

Death Place:Belgium

Rank:Private

Regiment:Gloucestershire Regiment

Regimental Number:28933

This from soldiers effects on ancestry 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for that.Unfortunately it makes it look like a wild goose chase, although that could have been picked up from CWGC register I suppose 

Richard

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe reading the soldiers effects page will help , it’s too small to do on a phone screen !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t have access to Ancestry. Any chance you could do that when you get to your laptop/computer please, and let me know if anything  shows up? Thanks 

Wouldn't it be amazing if both brothers’ graves could be identified?

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If no one else does I will look yes 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Ancre1917 said:

CWGC has Pte RP Smith 8 Glos regiment  being killed on 5 August 1917

5 hours ago, Ancre1917 said:

Can anyone help give a date for Pte. Smith's death, either confirming it or offering an alternative?

Pension card at WFA/Fold3 has 5/8/17  [of course all such entries may have become a bit 'incestuous' ??]

M

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks M. That confirms what Coldstreamer wrote so it looks like that’s the date. Unless as you say,  they’re all copying an original assumption. 
Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

CWGC have his grave as B27  05/Aug/1917  confirmed by IWGC headstone record and SDGW page

pension leger card has 5/8/17 KIA

dependents pension card 5.8.17

effects 5.8.17

even find a grave has same date.

cant check my SDGW cd as the new laptop does not have a cd drive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Chaz. I think I must now accept this is his date of death. Just such a coincidence that 2nd Lt Ralph Pritchard  Smith was Kia in the same day and buried in the same cemetery, hence the confusion about where exactly his grave is. The special memorial to 2nd Lt. Smith confirms that he is somewhere in Somer Farm, but where exactly no one knows. I suspect he is very close to Pte. Robert  Percy Smith, perhaps even alongside,  and that his original cross was lost. Such a shame as the grave of his younger brother, Lt. Harold Smith, has just been identified. What are the odds on having two men with the same surname and initials being Kia on same day and being buried in the same cemetery and one of their graves being lost?

Thanks again for checking for me  

Richard

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Admin

My analogue version (ie book) SDGW says 5/8/17

Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Ancre1917 said:

I think I must now accept this is his date of death.

Hard to do otherwise in the absence of further independent evidence - but as I mentioned before there was always a risk of cross-quoting amongst the examples of sources quoted above.

7 minutes ago, Michelle Young said:

My analogue version (ie book) SDGW says 5/8/17

:D  = pre-digital = positively ancient! [the book I mean]

M

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...