SMITH, Clarence Sydney
| Service Numbers: | 43, 514 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 18 August 1914 |
| Last Rank: | Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 1st Divisional Train |
| Born: | Waipara, New Zealand, 1 January 1869 |
| Home Town: | Paddington, Woollahra, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farrier |
| Died: | Cerebro-spinal meningitis, United Kingdom, 10 May 1917, aged 48 years |
| Cemetery: |
Stratford-Sub-Castle (St. Lawrence) Churchyard, Wiltshire, England St Lawrence Churchyard, Stratford-sub-Castle, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
Boer War Service
| 1 Oct 1899: | Involvement Farrier, 43, Queensland Imperial Bushmen | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 May 1900: | Embarked Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Farrier, 43, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 475 notes 4th QIB embarked 18 May 1900 aboard Manchester Port arriving Beira 14 Jun 1900. | |
| 10 Aug 1901: | Discharged Australian and Colonial Military Forces - Boer War Contingents, Farrier, 43, 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, AWM Boer War Unit Details, Murray p. 477 notes 4th QIB embarked 5 Jul 1901 returning to Australia aboard Britannic arriving Brisbane 5 Aug 1901, disbanded 10 Aug 1901 |
World War 1 Service
| 18 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 514, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1) | |
|---|---|---|
| 18 Oct 1914: | Embarked 514, 1st Divisional Train, HMAT Afric, Sydney | |
| 18 Oct 1914: | Involvement 514, 1st Divisional Train, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '21' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: '' | |
| 3 Nov 1915: | Promoted AIF WW1, Farrier Corporal, 45th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Promoted while serving at Alexandria, previously at Gallipoli. |
Boer War Service
| 21 Mar 1916: | Transferred AIF WW1, Farrier Corporal, 1st Divisional Train |
|---|
World War 1 Service
| 10 May 1917: | Involvement Corporal, 514, 1st Divisional Train, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 514 awm_unit: 1st Australian Divisional Train awm_rank: Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-05-10 |
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Help us honour Clarence Sydney Smith's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Claude McKelvey
Clarence Sydney Smith served in both the South African (Boer) War and WW1. First served as a Farrier S.N. 43 in the 4th Queensland Imperial Bushmen, boer war, and secondly as a Private/Farrier (rising in rank to Corporal/Farrier) S.N. 514 in WW1.
He was born at Waipara in New Zealand about 1869 and married Mary Klavikowsky. They were living at North Ipswich, Qld with one child (his namesake, Clarence Sydney Smith) when he enlisted in the Boer War. When he enlisted in 1914 for WW1 they were living in Paddington, Sydney, NSW, with a further three children, where he worked as a Farrier. He died in England during his WW1 service from meningitis. His son, Clarence Sydney Smith, also served in WW1 as a Private S.N. 3937 in the 3rd Infantry Battalion and later 17th Infantry Battalion AIF.
(sources- AWM Boer War Nominal Roll, Murray p. 480; National Archives Australia WW1 service records).
Biography contributed by Cathy Sedgwick
The summary below was completed by Cathy Sedgwick – Facebook “WW1 Australian War Graves in England/UK/Scotland/Ireland”
Died on this date – 10th May…… Clarence Sydney Smith was born at Waipara, Otago, New Zealand on 10th May, 1869.
His father George William Smith died on 25th July, 1879 in New Zealand.
According to information supplied by his wife for the Roll of Honour – Clarence Sydney Smith came to Australian when he was 12 years old. She also stated he had served with Queensland Mounted Rifles during the South African War.
Clarence Sydney Smith married Mary Klavikowsky They had the following children Elsie May Smith (born 9th May, 1897 Queensland); Clarence Sydney Smith (junior) (born 31st August, 1899 Ipswich, Queensland); Stella Thelma Smith (born 20th June, 1902 Paddington, NSW); Eric Bede Smith (born 20th June, 1905 Paddington, NSW) & Charles Bernard Smith (born 9th January 1912).
Mary Smith, mother of Clarence Sydney Smith, died on 29th June, 1903 in New South Wales.
On 18th August, 1914 Clarence Sydney Smith enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (A.I.F.) as a 45 year old, married (with 5 children), Farrier from Paddington, Sydney, NSW.
He was posted as a Shoeing Smith from 18th August, 1914 with Australian Army Service Corps.
Shoeing Smith Clarence Sydney Smith, Service number 514, embarked from Sydney, NSW on HMAT Afric (A19) on 18th October, 1914 with the Divisional Train – No. 2 Company.
On 5th April, 1915 Shoeing Smith Clarence Sydney Smith proceeded to join M.E.F. (Mediterranean Expeditionary Force) at Gallipoli.
He was transferred to Lemnos from Gallipoli on 10th September, 1915.
Shoeing Smith Clarence Sydney Smith embarked on H. T. Crosshill from Mudros on 31st October, 1915 for Alexandria. He rejoined his Unit on 3rd November, 1915.
On 3rd November, 1915 Shoeing Smith Clarence Sydney Smith was promoted to Farrier/Corporal at Alexandria.
Farrier/Corporal Clarence Sydney Smith proceeded to join Western Force at Matrah on 8th December, 1915. He rejoined his Unit at Matrah on 19th December, 1915 from Hospital.
He was temporarily attached to 5th A.D.T. (Australian Divisional Train) at Metras from 19th March, 1916.
On 21st March, 1916 Farrier/Corporal Smith was transferred to 5th Australian Divisional Train at Alexandria. He proceeded to join B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) from Alexandria on 2nd June, 1916 on Troopship Kingstonian & disembarked at Marseilles, France on 11th June, 1916.
Farrier/Corporal Clarence Sydney Smith was sent to Hospital on 5th January, 1917 while on leave from France. He was admitted to 2nd Australian Auxiliary Hospital at Southall, England on 5th January, 1917 with Chilblains. (Note: There is no record to show when Corporal Smith was on leave to England from France). The Hospital Admissions form recorded for 10th January, 1917 “Can now wear Boots”. He was discharged on 11th January, 1917 to Perham Downs.
He was marched in to No. 1 Command Depot at Perham Downs, Wiltshire, England on 11th January, 1917 from 2nd Auxiliary Hospital. He was medically classified as B1 A (fit for light duty for 4 weeks) on 12th January, 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 & also Dorset. Convalescing was also completed in these counties.
On 18th January, 1917 Farrier/Corporal Smith was marched in to No. 14 Camp at Codford, Wiltshire & was posted to 12th Training Battalion at Codford.
He was sent sick to Hospital at Codford from 12th Training Battalion on 11th February, 1917.
He was admitted to Salisbury Isolation Hospital, Wiltshire on 9th February, 1917 with Cerebro Spinal Meningitis. The Hospital Admissions form recorded: “Severe type. C.S. fluid tested + cells & + meningoccii… Became emaciated & mental degeneration.”
Farrier/Corporal Clarence Sydney Smith was placed on Supernumerary List on 5th April, 1917 after being evacuated sick to Hospital on 5th January, 1917.
Corporal Clarence Sydney Smith died 8 am on 10th May, 1917 at Salisbury Isolation Hospital, Wiltshire, England from Cerebro Spinal Meningitis.
He was buried in St Lawrence’s Churchyard, Stratford-sub-Castle, Wiltshire, England where 25 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/stratford-sub-castle.html
Click images to start slideshow.