SMITH, Robert
| Service Number: | 3239 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 November 1916 |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 57th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Mirboo North, Victoria, Australia, 1 April 1889 |
| Home Town: | Leongatha, South Gippsland, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Koorooman East, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Horse Breeder & Grazier |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Belgium, 26 September 1917, aged 28 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" Menin Gate Memorial, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium, Sanctuary Wood Cemetery, Ypres, Flanders, Belgium |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, City of Brunswick Honour Roll, Leongatha Fallen Soldiers Honour Roll, Menin Gate Memorial (Commonwealth Memorial to the Missing of the Ypres Salient) |
World War 1 Service
| 21 Nov 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3239 | |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Dec 1916: | Involvement Private, 3239, 57th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '20' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Medic embarkation_ship_number: A7 public_note: '' | |
| 16 Dec 1916: | Embarked Private, 3239, 57th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Medic, Melbourne |
Biography
Robert was born 1 April 1889 Mirboo North, Victoria the son of John Smith and Elizabeth Ann nee Longmore.
He was educated at Koorooman State School and later as a boarder at Scotch College Melbourne between 1904 and 1905.
Prior to enlisting for service Robert was in partnership with his father John operating the Riverslea Stud under the firm name of John Smith & Son at Leongatha. The main business was horse breeding and stud services.
Robert was married to Maud Lucy nee McDonald and had three daughters Maudie (5 years) Jean (3 years)and Bernice (2years) when he enlisted for service on the 21st November 1916.
Robert was killed in action on the 26 September 1917 at Glencorse Woods, Ypres, Belgium by German Artillery while working with eight other soldiers in a trench. He is commemorated on the Menin Gate at Ypres as a soldier with no known grave. He is also commemorated on the Koorooman East Roll of Honour at the Leongatha Historical Society and has a tree in both the Koorooman East and Leongatha Avenues of Honour.
Submitted 25 April 2022 by Stephen Russell
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