SMITH, Henry Francis
| Service Number: | 19477 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Rank: | Sapper |
| Last Unit: | Field Company Engineers |
| Born: | Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, 24 January 1887 |
| Home Town: | Toowoomba, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Schooling: | North State School, Toowoomba, Queensland. |
| Occupation: | Labourer (& Bridge Carpenter) |
| Died: | Pneumonia, General Military Hospital, Colchester, Essex, England , 5 November 1918, aged 31 years |
| Cemetery: |
Colchester Cemetery, Essex, United Kingdom Grave reference: T. 6. 3 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Toowoomba Roll of Honour WW1, Toowoomba War Memorial (Mothers' Memorial) |
World War 1 Service
| 31 Oct 1917: | Involvement Sapper, 19477, Field Company Engineers, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
|---|---|---|
| 31 Oct 1917: | Embarked Sapper, 19477, Field Company Engineers, HMAT Euripides, Sydney | |
| 5 Nov 1918: | Involvement Sapper, 19477, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 19477 awm_unit: Details Australian Engineers awm_rank: Sapper awm_died_date: 1918-11-05 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
He was 31 and the son of John Alfred and Mary Ann Smith; husband of Lucy Smith, of Greenwattle St., Wilsonton, Queensland.
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick (OAM) – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Henry Francis Smith was born at Toowoomba, Queensland on 24th January, 1887 to parents John Alfred and Mary Ann Smith (nee Bolster).
He married Maria Louise Dorries on 15th August, 1906 in Queensland.
Henry & Maria had the following children: John Kennedy Smith (born 7th January, 1907); Raymond Cyril Smith (born 26th October, 1909) and Delcie Ena Smith (born 12th November, 1911).
On 23rd February, 1917 Henry Francis Smith enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) as a 30 year old, married, Labourer (& Bridge Carpenter) from Toowoomba, Queensland.
Private Henry Francis Smith was posted to 8th Reinforcements of 42nd Battalion on 2nd April, 1917. He was transferred to Pioneers on 9th April, 1917 then transferred to Engineers as Driver on 2nd May, 1917.
He applied for Home Leave to Toowoomba which entailed 2 days travelling & 2 days at home from 12 noon on 28th April, 1917 to 8 am on 2nd May, 1917. The reason listed was for “Fixing up home affairs before going away.” 4 days leave was approved.
On 5th May, 1917 Driver Smith was transferred to Engineer Reinforcements of 2nd Military District with the rank of Sapper. He was posted to Depot Company of Engineer Reinforcements on 14th May, 1917.
Sapper Henry Francis Smith was promoted to Lance Corporal, “D” Company on 9th August, 1917.
He was promoted to Acting Corporal on 26th September, 1917 with “D” Company.
Sapper Henry Francis Smith, Service number 19477, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Euripides (A14) on 31st October, 1917 with the Field Company Engineers – July, 1917 Reinforcements. He was appointed as V.O. (Voyage Only) Corporal from 31st October, 1917. V.O. Corporal Henry Francis Smith had been admitted to Ship’s Hospital while at Sea on 14th November, 1917 suffering from Indigestion. He disembarked at Devonport, England on 26th December, 1917.
Reinforcements were only given basic training in Australia. Training was completed in training units in England. Some of these were located in the Salisbury Plain & surrounding areas in the county of Wiltshire.
On 26th December, 1917 V.O. (Voyage Only) Corporal Smith was marched in to No. 3 Camp at Parkhouse, Wiltshire from Australia & reverted to the rank of Sapper.
Sapper Smith was appointed to E.D.P. (Extra Duty Pay) Corporal from 27th December, 1917 while with Engineer Details.
E.D.P. (Extra Duty Pay) Corporal Henry Francis Smith was marched in to Engineers Training Depot at Brightlingsea on 18th February, 1918. He reverted to the rank of Sapper on 19th February, 1918.
He was medically checked while posted at Brightlingsea & was found to have Chronic Otitis Media. Sapper Smith was medically classified on 6th March, 1918 as C1 – fit for Home Service only.
Sapper Henry Francis Smith was taken on strength of Permanent Cadre of Engineers Training Depot at Brightlingsea on 13th August, 1918 from Engineer Reinforcements. He was promoted to the rank of Temporary Corporal the same day.
On 4th September, 1918 Temporary Corporal Smith’s condition of Chronic Otitis Media was revised by Area Medical Board & he was medically classified as "A Class" (fit for active service).
He was sent sick to Colchester Hospital from Brightlingsea on 2nd November, 1918 with Influenza & reverted to the rank of Sapper on being admitted to Hospital.
Sapper Henry Francis Smith died on 5th November, 1918 at General Military Hospital, Colchester, Essex, England from Pneumonia.
He was buried in Colchester Cemetery, Colchester, Essex, England where 10 other WW1 Australian War Graves are located.
(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/colchester.html
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