walter smith can anyone help me narrow down the search?

[Bookworm]

hi, im new to this site and was wondering for any pointers in the right direction. my mums uncle fought and died in ww1. little is known about what happened as the family apparently did not talk about it and there are few (if any) surviving members of the family who may know. all i know is his name was walter smith (parents samuel and sarah) and the family lived in birkenhead, although originally from yorkshire. mum believes he died near the beginning of the war - possibly 1915 and would have been 22/ 23 yrs old if so. i do not know what regiment he was in, but was an engineer by trade -could that indicate the royal engineers - im so clueless - or possibly a local regiment such as the kings liverpool or one of the cheshires. i have looked on the national war graves commisssion web site and it is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but i have managed to narrow it down to a small number of possibilities based on the info i have. does anyone have any advice or information they could give me, possibly for further research. i would be ever so grateful as would mum.

[Paul Nixon]

Welcome Bookworm.

1901 census gives 11 possibilities for Samuel Smith, head of hosuehold, keyword: Birkenhead. One match which loks like your man:

No 15, Kent Place, Birkenhead

Samuel Smith, Head, married, aged 34, joiner, born Todmorden, Yorkshire

Sarah A Smith, Wife, married, aged 35, born West Bromwich, Staffordshire

Joseph Smith, Son, aged 13, born Todmorden, Yorkshire

Walter Smith, Son, aged 8, born Birkenhead, Cheshire

Sydney Smith, Son, aged 4, born Birkenhead, Cheshire

Doris Smith, Daughter, aged 2, born Birkenhead, Cheshire

Samuel H (or K) Smith, Son, aged one month, born Birkenhead, Cheshire

So your man was born in 1892/3

Cheers

Edited 29 November , 2005 by Paul Nixon

[chrisharley9]

From SDGW

338 Spr Walter Smith RE

Born & Enlisted Birkenhead

Killed in action 16/06/1915

1/1st Cheshire Field Company

This is the only Walter Smith born Birkenhead on SDGW

CWGC entry

Name: SMITH, WALTER

Initials: W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Sapper

Regiment: Royal Engineers

Unit Text: 1st/1st (Cheshire) Field Coy.

Date of Death: 16/06/1915

Service No: 388

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 9.

Cemetery: YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL

All the Best

Chris

[Bookworm]

thanks thats the one.my grandad was sydney, couldnt fight as he had a couple fingers amputated in an earlier machine accident. so according to that walter would have been 22 / 23 if died in 1915 as thought. trouble is not all the ages are given on the wgc list, i can only discount those that are and are too old/ young

[Paul Nixon]

England and Wales, Civil Registration Index: 1837-1983 gives this:

Smith, Walter

Birth registered December quarter 1892 in Birkenhead, Cheshire, Merseyside.

So you're probably looking at an actual birth date of Oct - Dec 1892 (if he was registered promptly).

[Bookworm]

chrisharley9, cheers, were did you find the info about being born and enlisted? the guy you have the info about is one of the ones on my shortlist, but i did not find the extra info. seems highly likely it was him as everything seems to fit esp as he was born birkenhead. you guys are quick workers, i really appreciate your help. thanks