PARIS, Robert Smibert
| Service Number: | 1088 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 April 1916, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lance Corporal |
| Last Unit: | 43rd Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Tantawoola, South Australia, 9 May 1885 |
| Home Town: | Millicent, Wattle Range, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Millicent Public School |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Died Of Wound, Warneton, France, Belgium, 3 August 1917, aged 32 years |
| Cemetery: |
Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord Pas de Calais |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Millicent War Memorial, Mount Gambier St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Roll of Honor (2), Mount Gambier War Memorial, Semaphore Port Adelaide Presbyterian Church Roll of Honour WW1 |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Apr 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1088, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jun 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 1088, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Afric embarkation_ship_number: A19 public_note: 'Name incorrectly recorded on original as: ''Paris, Robert Mibert''' | |
| 9 Jun 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 1088, 43rd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Afric, Adelaide | |
| 2 Aug 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lance Corporal, 1088, 43rd Infantry Battalion, Third Ypres, --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1088 awm_unit: 43rd Australian Infantry Battalion awm_rank: Lance Corporal awm_died_date: 1917-08-02 |
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Add my storyBiography
Robert Smibert PARIS was born on 9th May, 1885 at Tantawoola, South Australia
His parents were John PARIS and Mary Anne LAMB
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Robert PARIS married Beatrice Elizabeth HOFFMEISTER on 12th February, 1916 at the Port Adelaide Presbyterian Church, before joining the 43rd Battalion of the AIF on the 3rd April 1916. Beatrice had joined her sister teaching at Mt Gambier where she met Robert. - they had a daughter Elizabeth Leroy PARIS born in 1916
Lance Corporal PARIS was wounded with a Gunshot wound to the head on the 31st July 1917 during the battle of Ypres in Northern France and died on the 2nd August 1917 of wounds received.
Biography contributed by Heathfield High School
Robert Paris was born on the 8th of May 1885, in the South Australian town of Tantaloola. His parents were John Paris and Mary Anne Lamb. He attended Millicent Public School for his education. He became a farmer, as all of his previous family had also been farmers. He Married Beatrice Elizabeth Hoffmeister on 12th February 1916 at the Port Adelaide Presbyterian Church. His hometown was Millicent, Wattle Range - South Australia, Australia. (Virtual War Memorial, Robert Paris. Including family records and books as well.)
Robert enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the third of April 1916, he was assigned to the 43rd Infantry Battalion, which was raised a month before Robert enlisted, sometime during March. It was to be South Australia’s contribution to the 3rd division. Roberts battalion was housed at the Morphettville Racecourse, and firearms practice was done in the sandhills between Glenelg and Henley. Along with this, a practice attack occurred against the Hindmarsh Bridge, via the Montefiore hall. The battalion left to meet up with the third division on the ninth of June of the same year. Robert was transported on the HMS Afric, departing from Adelaide Outer Harbour. (National Archives of Australia, Robert Paris Smibert Records. B2455)
The Afric went from Adelaide to Marsailles in France and Robert disembarked 20th July 1916. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on the 8th of August 1916 (Virtual War Memorial, 43rd Infantry Battalion). He then moved to England and proceeded overseas to France 25th November 1916
He had duty at the brigade headquarters from 15th March 1917 to 19th June 1917 when he rejoined the 43 Battalion, although what this duty was remains unspecified. On return, his battalion, and division were at the Messines on the 7th of June 1917. Later, he was engaged in combat during the Third Ypres campaign.
Robert Paris was wounded in action on the 31st of Julywith a gun shot wound to his head. He was treated by the 9th Field Ambulance and sent to the 2nd Casualty Clearing Station where nothing could be done to save him. Sadly, Robert Paris died of wounds on the 2nd August 1917. He was buried at the military cemetery, in Trois Arbres. (National Archives of Australia, Robert Paris Smibert, B2455)
The cemetery he was buried in, Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, Nord Pas de Calais, France, houses 1276 other deceased people, these people are not all from a specific battle, and range from Ypres to others all over the France Belgium front area.
After the war, his wife, Beatrice Elizabeth Hoffmeister decided to go visit his grave. It would have been a difficult trek, but she still went through with it, and photos were taken. Recently, a lot of information about him was compiled into a single book for our family to access. Kindly, my grandma offered to lend it to me while I was working on this project, and it proved to help me out a lot. Thanks to it, a lot of information that would have before been harder to access, was now a lot easier! A casualty form sheet printed in good quality was accessible, and it gave me a lot of information to help. (Personal Record) Filler
Bibliography And References
43rd Infantry Battalion 2024, Vwma.org.au, viewed 30 May 2024, <https://vwma.org.au/explore/units/64>.
Robert Smibert PARIS 2024, Vwma.org.au, viewed 30 May 2024, <https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/233547>.
Terrace, V 2024, View digital copy, Naa.gov.au, viewed 30 May 2024, <https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=8007105>.
BBC Bitesize 2019, What was life like in a World War One trench? - BBC Bitesize, BBC Bitesize, BBC Bitesize, viewed 30 May 2024, <https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z8sssbk#z7rqjsg>.
Click images to start slideshow.