James Greig SMITH

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SMITH, James Greig

Service Number:	864
Enlisted:	21 January 1916, Helena Vale, WA
Last Rank:	Private
Last Unit:	44th Infantry Battalion
Born:	Parkside, SA, 27 October 1896
Home Town:	Boulder, Kalgoorlie/Boulder, Western Australia
Schooling:	Boulder Central School
Occupation:	Tailor
Died:	Killed in Action, Brookside Ridge, Belgium, France, 4 October 1917, aged 20 years
Cemetery:	Tyne Cot Cemetery and Memorial XXII F 16, Bernafay Wood British Cemetery, Montauban, Picardie, France, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Passchendaele, Flanders, Belgium
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Boulder Roll of Honour Board, Boulder St George's Presbyterian Church Roll of Honour, Kalgoorlie St John's Anglican Church Honour Roll

World War 1 Service

21 Jan 1916:	Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 864, 44th Infantry Battalion, Helena Vale, WA
6 Jun 1916:	Involvement Private, 864, 44th Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Fremantle embarkation_ship: HMAT Suevic embarkation_ship_number: A29 public_note: ''
6 Jun 1916:	Embarked Private, 864, 44th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Suevic, Fremantle

Private James Greig Smith

Private James Greig Smith died at the tender age of 20, one month shy of his 21st. In the lead up to his deployment he lost both his parents in the space of 3 years making him affectively an orphan. Being the only child would have only added to the depth of his grief. He was found in a solitary stationary train asleep just before leaving for overseas and charged accordingly. In my eyes he would have been stricken with grief in desperate need of some solitude from the noisy barracks. He was my Great Great Uncle and I am honoured to carry his blood within me. My dearest deceased Dad a historian would often lament about poor James on his own all these years, a forgotten fallen soldier. My father claimed no one related to James had ever visited him in over a century. I sincerely hope this isn’t true.

James was killed in action on October the 4th. 1917 on the Belgium fields just outside Ypres railway station. He was killed instantly which gives me some solace he wasn’t in pain.

It is my greatest honour to place a remembrance wreath at the foot of his grave at Tyne Cot Cemetery this July in honour of his bravery and strength in adversity. He died protecting our country. A short life but one of true grit and courage.

Gone but never forgotten.

Vale James.

Biography contributed by Faithe Jones

Son of Henry Law SMITH and Harriet nee FAIRCLOUGH

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