Today | News | Books | Recipes Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History Bookered on the outbreak of war and joined the Wellington Mounted Rifles; was promoted Sergt.; left for Egypt, Oct. 1914; went to the Dardanelles in May, and was killed in action at Anzac Cove, 30 May, 1915; _unm._ Sergt. Smith was mentioned in Sir Ian Hamilton's Despatches. The deputy censor (Selwyn Chambers), who was in the trenches with him, wrote: "He was killed in action on Sunday, 30 May, and we have lost one of our best soldiers and a true friend. We were hard pressed and nobody in the squadron did more to encourage those about him and help them to bear up in a very difficult position. He was injured by a hand grenade and lived for some hours, and even while lying wounded unable to take any active part in the defence of the trenches, he continued to encourage his comrades. Eventually he passed away in a peaceful sleep and we lost a true soldier." [Illustration: =Henry Wilson Smith.=] =SMITH, JAMES ALEXANDER EDINGTON=, Private, No. 1163, 8th Battn. Royal Scots (T.F.), only _s._ of James Smith, of The Vale, North Berwick, Clothier, by his wife, Margaret Wilhelmina, dau. of William Purves; _b._ North Berwick, 30 March, 1893; educ. High School there; was an Engineer's Apprentice; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war in Aug. 1914, and joined the Royal Scots, 1 Sept.; went to France, 2 Nov. 1914, and died in Netley Hospital, 15 May, 1915, from wounds received in action near Fleurbaix on 20 Dec. 1914; _unm._ =SMITH, JAMES ALFRED=, Private, R.M.L.I., Ch./7094, H.M.S. Hawke; lost when that ship was torpedoed in the North Sea, 15 Oct. 1914; _m._ =SMITH, JAMES MONTAGUE=, Lieut., 1/5th Battn. The Royal Scots (T.F.), eldest _s._ of the late James Smith, of 4, Brunton Place, Edinburgh, M.D., J.P. (died May, 1914), by his wife, Eliza (15, Chalmers Street, Edinburgh), dau. of James Smith, of Edinburgh; _b._ Edinburgh, 30 Aug. 1892; educ. George Watson's College, and Edinburgh University, and was in his final year of studying medicine, when war was declared in Aug. 1914. He had received a commission as 2nd Lieut. in the 5th Royal Scots (T.F.), 17 June, 1911, and was promoted Lieut. 22 Dec. 1912; and volunteered for foreign service with his Battn. He left for the Dardanelles, 10 March, 1915, as Machine Gun Officer and Assistant Adjutant; took part in the landing on 25 April, and was killed in action there, 2 May following; _unm._ Buried at Twelve Tree Copse. Lieut.-Col. J. R. Wilson (himself wounded) wrote: "The Adjutant was killed five days before, and your son was acting Adjutant in his place. From the meagre details I have got so far, I judge he joined with the line of our men who made a bayonet charge to restore the broken British line which had given way before the enemy's attack. In the fighting resulting, he and two other officers were killed. There is consolation in the knowledge that he died gallantly doing his best for his country." And Capt. D. L. McLagan: "As your son's temporary commanding officer it is my duty to write and tell you how gallantly your son behaved on the night when he was killed. I was within a few feet of him after a charge which we are told saved the whole army from a break through by the Turks. Your son gave of his best at all times for his Battn., and on this night he was not behind. He led a section of the men for a very great distance to occupy a vacant trench during the night, and when we arrived there we found the Turks had got round behind. We all had the impression that the French Senegalese were behind us, and while we hesitated, the blast which killed so many of us, including your son, came upon us. By a great chance and the goodness of God I was saved by a machine-gun protecting me from the bullets intended for me, and thus I was the only officer to return from that far-off trench when morning came. We drove off the Turks and saved the situation but at what a cost? Montie was a fine fellow who did his duty nobly and unselfishly and never spared himself. His is another name to add to the roll of those who have fallen to make the 5th Royal Scots what they are now." Major James Scott of the R.A.M.C. also wrote: "He was a most promising young man in every respect, and I am sure had he been spared would have made his mark in whatsoever path he chose to tread. He was most highly esteemed by every one, from the Col., Adjutant and officers to the humblest man. Being appointed Adjutant was the highest honour I ever knew conferred upon a man so young, but yet he was equal to it, and threw his whole energy into whatever task he undertook. It was practically impossible for such a brave young soldier to escape being wounded because he ventured so much and led his men so well." He was Colour-Sergt. in the O.T.C. at George Watson's College, and joined the University O.T.C. in 1910. [Illustration: =James Montague Smith.=] =SMITH, JAMES WILLIAM=, Private, No. 10/1036, B Coy. (East Coast Regt.), Wellington Battn., New Zealand Expeditionary Force, _s._ of William Smith, of Regent Street, Hawera, Taranaki, New Zealand, formerly of Wakefield, co. York, by his wife, Margaret, dau. of J. S. Meiklejohn, of Melbourne, Australia, and nephew of the late James Sim Benyon, proprietor and Editor of the "Kumara Times"; _b._ Hokitika, West Coast, South Island, 4 Nov. 1879; educ. Kumara High School, after which he served as an apprentice in a grocery business in the same town. He then joined the Justice Department of the New Zealand Government, and was appointed to H.M. Prisons, being ultimately transferred to the Survey Department. On the outbreak of war he joined the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Aug. 1914, took part in the defence of the Suez Canal, and was killed in action, 2 May, 1915, eight days after landing on the Gallipoli Peninsula; _unm._ [Illustration: =James William Smith.=] =SMITH, JOHN=, Private, No. 2484, 5th Battn. The Royal Sussex Regt. (T.F.), _s._ of the late James Smith, of Battenhurst Farm, Stonegate, Farm Bailiff, by his wife, Eliza (Mabbs Hill, Stonegate, Sussex); _b._ Stonegate, co. Sussex, 24 June, 1890; educ. Stonegate School; was employed as gardener at Afterglow, Wadhurst; joined 5th Sussex Territorials Sept. 1914, and died of pulmonary tuberculosis at his home, Mabbs Hill, Stonegate, 25 July, 1915; _unm._ =SMITH, JOHN=, stoker, 2nd Class, S.S. 115515, H.M.S. Good Hope; lost in action off Coronel, on the coast of Chili, 1 Nov. 1914. =SMITH, JOHN=, Stoker, 1st Class, K. 13677 (Ports.), H.M.S. Cressy; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =SMITH, JOHN ACKLAND=, Stoker, 2nd Class, K. 20594 (lev.), H.M.S. Hogue; lost in action in the North Sea, 22 Sept. 1914. =SMITH, JOHN ALEXANDER HAY=, B.A., LL. B., Lieut., 11th (Service) Battn. The Royal Scots, only _s._ of the late William Smith, of Calcutta, Jute Merchant, by his wife, I. Seath (now wife of W. G. Mair, of Clifton Bank, St. Andrews), dau. of Alexander Nicoll, of Dundee, Merchant; _b._ Darjeeling, India, 17 Nov. 1890; educ. Stanley Ho |