Regimental number | 1054 |
Place of birth | Port Melbourne, Victoria |
School | Yarragon State School, Victoria |
Religion | Roman Catholic |
Occupation | Timber worker |
Address | No 1 Mill, Manjinup, Western Australia |
Marital status | Single |
Age at embarkation | 27 |
Height | 5' 7" |
Weight | 159 lbs |
Next of kin | Father, John Smith, 55 Brighton Street, Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria |
Previous military service | Nil |
Enlistment date | |
Date of enlistment from Nominal Roll | |
Place of enlistment | Perth, Western Australia |
Rank on enlistment | Private |
Unit name | 32nd Battalion, C Company |
AWM Embarkation Roll number | 23/49/1 |
Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Adelaide, South Australia, on board HMAT A2 Geelong on |
Rank from Nominal Roll | Private |
Unit from Nominal Roll | 32nd Battalion |
Fate | Killed in Action |
Place of death or wounding | Fleurbaix, France |
Age at death | 27 |
Age at death from cemetery records | 27 |
Place of burial | No known grave |
Commemoration details | V.C. Corner (Panel No 6), Australian Cemetery, Fromelles, France |
Panel number, Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial | 121 |
Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: John and Catherine SMITH, 36 Tanner Street, Richmond, Victoria. Native of Port Melbourne |
Family/military connections | Brother: 1696 Pte George Stoddart SMITH, 5th Bn, killed in action, 9 August 1915. |
Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Disembarked Suez, ex-HMAT 'Geelong', 18 December 1915. Admitted to D.B.I., Abbassia, 28 December 1915 (venereal); discharged, 14 January 1916; rejoined 32nd Bn, Tel el Kebir, from 8th Training Bn, Zeitoun, 20 February 1916. Found guilty, 5 May 1916, of being absent from parade at 1600 hours: awarded 7 days' confined to camp. Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 17 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 23 June 1916. Killed in action, 19 July 1916. Statement, Red Cross File No 2570603, 472 Pte J.F. DAVIS, 32nd Bn (patient, No 14 General Hospital, Bouogne), 24 July 1916: 'Smith was killed in the German second line in the advance of July 19th, South of Armentieres. He was killed by a shell and fell in the trench which was flooded, and went under. We had to leave that line on the morning of the 20th, and Smith will pretty well be reported missing.' Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal |
Sources | NAA: B2455, SMITH William James
Red Cross file 2570603 |