Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Enlisted 1st King Edwards Horse 11 January 1916.

Arrived in France 7 September 1916.

Wounded, GSW Shoulder & Face in defence of Vieille Chapelle, Huits Maisons and Fosse Bridgeheads 9, 10, 11 April 1918.

Returned to England 26 April 1918.

Discharged 6 February 1919 - for the purpose of accepting an appointment as Chaplin with the Australian Imperial Force.

His WWI Medals and other memorabilia are held by the West Australian Military Museum.

The History of the King Edwards Horse, Appendix F.     (Lionel James)

Narrative from Pte Smith Vielle Chapelle, 1918

Private Smith of C Squadron was an Australian Presbyterian Parson, who enlisted as a Private In KEH. He was sent with his Hotchkiss gun detachment as a reinforcement to the right of Major Furse's position at Les Huits Maisons.

I was no sooner hit than I heard Earle shout and saw him stagger into a shell hole right at the gap where we crossed the ditch. A second or two later Marr gave a shout and I saw someone stop with him and try to help him dress his wound. I was very faint and absolutely crippled in my left arm and side. I knew I was not fatally hit as the sudden faintness soon passed away. It was not long before the Boche came down. Some came round the corners of the strong point and some came the same way as we had come from the haystack. I was lying with my feet in the ditch so I rolled into it to try to get a drink. I asked the second or third Boshe to pull me up. This he did and then ran on. Shortly after this I crawled down to Earle who was not more than a dozen yards away. Earle was perfectly conscious; but he had lost an awful lot of blood and was perfectly useless. He had got one right through the stomach and another had smashed his right elbow.

After resting a bit I started to crawl over the ditch towards the place where the half of Marr's field dressing was left. Soon I saw some Bosche coming back. When they came up I asked one to give me a drink. He gave me his bottle which had tea. He took my arm and with the rest he was helping me over to the farm where he said I would get a doctor. I began to have strange thoughts of being a prisoner and so I said I could not walk further; so he let me lie down and with the others he went to the farm. I then crawled into the hedge and along it to the strong post, when, lo and behold, here were more of the Bosche coming back. I thought something must have pulled them up. They had seen me so I did not try to hide. When they came up they sat beside me. One was a red cross chap so I asked him to dress my face which he did. I thanked him in my pidgeon German and asked him to go over and see Earle at once. He went over, but only looked at him, said nothing, and lifted Earle's rifle and unloaded it and came back to the rest. They sat here for a while. I had some suspicion they would gladly been taken prisoner's. I was too weak to move and could do nothing. Besides it was a long time getting dark. At last they moved away and I crawled to Earle to see if I could help him. So lying by his side, with one hand and my knife, I ripped off his dressing and cut his clothes open and put dressing on the hole in his stomach. Earle was quite conscious but I could not see how he could live even if he had help. So we lay and talked until it began to get dark. I told Earle what I intended to do if possible. Before I left him I covered him well up with some coats I found.

I could see scores of Bosche moving away past the farm we had passed when we came out to our position. I took care they did not see me. It was scarcely dark when I started back on the track we had come up. I had not gone far when I saw a body move on the parados. It was Mr. Giles with his head wrapped up, but evidently quite conscious. He asked me where I was going. I told him and he said I had no hope and had better go back to the farm to the Bosche and get help. I said 'No' I am going to reach our own lines.

I then crept down the back of the trench and soon found the reason why the Boshce had not come back that way. There were some half a dozen Jocks all dead. I did not take the road just then, but made for the farm on the left. I walked up quietly, but could hear no sound. I looked in, but all was still. I made down the road, and before I knew where I was I heard a voice -'Who's that?' I knew it was Searies, there he was lying by the side of the road. He said his legs were broken. I could do nothing in the way of helping him in. I got some coats and covered him up and told him I would soon find help. I had not gone 500 yards when I found Roberts - A Squadron and Mossman also of A both were badly hit in the stomach. I told them I should soon get help.

After I left Roberts and Mossman I got a bit off my bearings and so it took me longer to reach Fosse bridge where I found our Headquarters.