SMITH, William Bowyer
| Service Number: | 3766 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 22 May 1916, Enlisted at Albany, WA |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 2nd Pioneer Battalion |
| Born: | Wellingborough, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom, 1878 |
| Home Town: | Denmark, Denmark, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Killed in action, France, 11 March 1918 |
| Cemetery: |
Pont d'Achelles Military Cemetery, France Plot 1, Row G, Grave 33. Headstone inscription reads: R.I.P. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Denmark War Memorial, Kings Park Western Australia State War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 22 May 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3766, 2nd Pioneer Battalion, Enlisted at Albany, WA | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 May 1917: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3766, 2nd Pioneer Battalion, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '5' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Shropshire embarkation_ship_number: A9 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Mar 1918: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3766, 2nd Pioneer Battalion, German Spring Offensive 1918 |
Help us honour William Bowyer Smith's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Carol Foster
Son of Edmund Brierley Smith and Katherine Smith: brother of Albert Smith; father of Edmund Bowyer Smith and Florence Irene May Smith. At the time of enlistment William's marital status was listed as Widower
21 July 1917 - to hospital with Mumps
Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal
Biography contributed by Stephen Brooks
William Bowyer Smith was born in Wellingborough, Oxfordshire, England, the son of Edmund Brierley and Katherine (nee Turk) Smith, in 1878.
He came out to Queensland, Australia with his family in 1884, when he was 6 years of age. He and his brother ended up in Western Australia where they both enlisted for service in WW1
William’s younger brother, 2532 Pte. Herbert Charles Smith was killed in action with the 51st Battalion AIF, on 2 April 1917, aged 31.
William married Eveline Jubilett Taylor on 16 December 1911 at the St John's Church, Albany. His wife, Eveline, died after the birth of their third child during November 1914. He enlisted as a widower, at almost 40 years of age.
William was taken on strength of the 2nd Pioneer Battalion on 13 January 1918. He was killed in action on 11 March 1918.
The 2nd Pioneer Battalion War Diary for 11 March records in part: “Nieppe: 6 HE shells dropped into Nieppe. 60 R killed – 50R evacuated wounded – Companies moved out of billets making bivouacs around village.”
William was buried in Pont-D'Achelles Military Cemetery, Nieppe, France. The cemetery is 3 miles North West of Armentieres. The Australian War Memorial records seven members of the 2nd Pioneers dying on 11 March 1918. “There were 6 killed by the same shell, and they were all buried together in a cemetery near Neuve Eglise their graves being marked with a cross bearing full details.” Informant: 3688 Pte. A. Boyd 2nd Pioneers.
William named as his next-of-kin his son Edmund Bowyer Smith, c/o Mrs. Florence A. Jones of Hill Street, South Perth. George Phillip Jones, husband of Florence, was named as his Executor and was, with his wife, caring for William’s two surviving children, Edmund and Florence.
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