Remembering: Spr Francis William SMITH

[Guest Ian Bowbrick]

I don't know.........but I have always wanted to start one of these threads!

I look forward to reading the details later.

Ian

[Peter Beckett]

Ian,

I usually wait until Christine starts and then read what RT adds.

Hope you haven't started WW3 (Only Joking)

Good one,

Peter

[christine liava'a]

As far as I am concerned, feel free to start a thread. Just make it clear that it is the Remembering Today man. The more the merrier!

Remembering Today:

Spr Francis William SMITH, 643 Royal Engineers, who died on 31.01.15. Le Touret Military Cemetery, France

Name: SMITH

Initials: F W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Sapper

Regiment: Royal Engineers

Unit Text: 1st East Anglian Field Coy.

Date of Death: 31/01/1915

Service No: 643

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: II. C. 3.

Cemetery: LE TOURET MILITARY CEMETERY, RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE

Cemetery: LE TOURET MILITARY CEMETERY, RICHEBOURG-L'AVOUE

Country: France

Locality: Pas de Calais

Located at the east end of the cemetery is Le Touret Memorial, which commemorates over 13,000 servicemen who fell in this area before 25 September 1915 and who have no known grave.

Historical Information:

The Cemetery was begun by the Indian Corps (and in particular by the 2nd Leicesters) in November, 1914, and it was used continuously by Field Ambulances and fighting units until March, 1918. It passed into German hands in April, 1918, and after its recapture a few further burials were made in Plot IV in September and October. The grave of one Officer of the London Regiment was brought in in 1925 from a position on the Estaires-La Bassee road near "Port Arthur", and the 264 Portuguese graves of March, 1917 and April, 1919 were removed to Richebourg-L'Avoue Portuguese National Cemetery after the Armistice. There are now over 900, 1914-18 war casualties commemorated in this site. The graves of three men of the King's Liverpool Regiment, which were destroyed by shell fire, are now represented by special headstones. The Cemetery covers an area of 7,036 square metres and is enclosed by a low brick wall.

No. of Identified Casualties: 912

The CWGC entry does not give FW Smith's first names

[christine liava'a]

483rd Field Coy Royal Engineers 54th Division Aug 14 - Dec 14

then 2nd Division Jan 15 - Nov 18

Named 1st (East Anglian) until 1917

http://www.1914-1918.net/re.htm

[Guest Pete Wood]

Well done for starting this, Ian.

May I just echo Christine's thoughts; anyone, please feel free to start the Remembering thread. The earlier in the day it can be started, the better, because it means more people can read about him/her in the 24 hour period when their name is highlighted.

May I please just ask that the date of their death is put in the subject title so that this term can be used in the search engine at a later date.

In SDGW, 'our' man is listed as Killed In Action.

He was born and enlisted in Bedford.

The county next door is Hertfordshire which falls neatly into the catchment area of 54 East Anglian Division. I know that 54 Division did not take its artillery to Gallipoli, which was sent instead to France. This was obviously the case for this Engineer company, too.

Until the end of December 1914, the Division was mainly involved in coast watching on the east coast of the UK.

Francis William Smith was born in the September quarter of 1892, which makes him around 22 years of age when he died.

[Paul Reed]

I have always found these threads interesting - nice to see what turns up so quickly!

Just to add my own 2d on this one. The line south of Armentieres at this time was quite active, as the Germans launched a series of local actions on the Kaiser's Birthday on 29th January; maybe he was caught up in the tail end of that?

There's a little bit more on 2nd Division on my website at:

http://battlefields1418.50megs.com/regular...#2nd%20Division