Bert SMITH

SMITH, Bert

Service Number: 5196
Enlisted: 29 May 1915
Last Rank: Corporal
Last Unit: 49th Infantry Battalion
Born: Oaklands, Richmond River, New South Wales, Australia, October 1894
Home Town: Oaklands, Urana, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Sawyer
Died: Chloroform Asphixia & Cardiac Failure, 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom, 18 July 1917
Cemetery: Harefield (St. Mary) Churchyard
Grave No. 31
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Coraki Honour Board, Coraki War Memorial
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World War 1 Service

29 May 1915: Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 5196, 9th Infantry Battalion
31 Mar 1916: Involvement Private, 5196, 9th Infantry Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Star of Victoria embarkation_ship_number: A16 public_note: ''
31 Mar 1916: Embarked Private, 5196, 9th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Star of Victoria, Sydney
20 Aug 1916: Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 49th Infantry Battalion
13 Dec 1916: Promoted AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 49th Infantry Battalion
19 Jan 1917: Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal, 49th Infantry Battalion
2 Apr 1917: Wounded AIF WW1, Corporal, 5196, 49th Infantry Battalion, G.S.W to right leg, compound fracture of Tibia & Fibula Died of Illness and wounds
18 Jul 1917: Involvement Corporal, 5196, 49th Infantry Battalion, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 5196 awm_unit: 49th Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-07-18

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Biography contributed by Evan Evans

The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK

Died on this date - 18th July......Corporal Bert Smith was born at Oakland, Richmond River, NSW in 1895. He enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) on 25th September, 1915 as a 28 year old Sawyer from Oaklands, via Coraki, NSW.

Private Smith embarked from Sydney, NSW on 31st March, 1916 with 9th Battalion, 16th Reinforcements & disembarked at Port Said on 5th May, 1916. He was transferred to 49th Battalion & arrived in France on 14th June, 1916.

Private Smith joined 49th Battalion at the Front on 20th August, 1916. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 13th December, 1916 then Corporal from 29th January, 1917.

Corporal Bert Smith was wounded in action on 5th April, 1917. He was invalided to England & was admitted to 2nd Southern General Hospital at Bristol, England on 16th April, 1917 with G.S.W to right leg, compound fracture of Tibia & Fibula. He was transferred to 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Harefield, Middlesex, England on 3rd July, 1917. The Hospital Admissions form recorded “still much discharge of pus. Fracture not uniting.”

A Medical Report was completed on Corporal Smith on 5th July, 1917 with the Medical Officer in charge of the case recommended that Corporal Smith be discharged as permanently unfit. The Medical Board found that Corporal Smith was permanently unfit for General Service & unfit for Home Service for 6 months.

Corporal Bert Smith died on 18th July, 1917 at 1st Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Harefield, Middlesex, England from Chloroform Asphixia & Cardiac Failure. He was buried in St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard, Harefield, Middlesex, England where 112 other WW1 Australian Soldiers are buried.

(The above is a summary of my research. The full research can be found by following the link below)
Headstone & Cemetery photos courtesy of Peter Bennett.
Photo of Bert & his brother Leslie Smith
https://ww1austburialsuk.weebly.com/o---w.html

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