SMITH, Arthur Leonard
| Service Number: | 19 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 August 1914, An original of A Squadron |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 1st Field Ambulance |
| Born: | North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 6 January 1891 |
| Home Town: | Hornsby, Hornsby Shire, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Fort Street School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation: | Railway signalman |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 17 August 1916, aged 25 years |
| Cemetery: |
Pozières British Cemetery Plot IV, Row L, Grave No. 50, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board, Hornsby War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Aug 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 19, 1st Field Ambulance, An original of A Squadron | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Oct 1914: | Involvement Private, 19, 1st Field Ambulance, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '22' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Euripides embarkation_ship_number: A14 public_note: '' | |
| 20 Oct 1914: | Embarked Private, 19, 1st Field Ambulance, HMAT Euripides, Sydney |
Help us honour Arthur Leonard Smith's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Stephen Brooks
Arthur Leonard Smith, known as Len, took part in the Landing at Gallipoli and served as a stretcher bearer in the 1st Field Ambulance continuously right through to the evacuation. His younger brother 1016 Sapper Stanley Lazelle Smith 2nd Divisional Signal Company, Australian Engineers, died of septicaemia in France 29 June 1916. A diary of Len’s experiences on Gallipoli was sent home to his family.
Biography contributed by John Oakes
Arthur Leonard SMITH was born at North Sydney on 6th January 1891. He was educated at Fort St Superior Public School in Surry Hills. He was one of the sons of Arthur Edward and Elizabeth Smith. Their residence was at Hornsby but Arthur (senior) was a fruiterer by trade and his business was at Haberfield.
Arthur (junior) joined the NSW Government Railways and Tramways on 10th September 1906 as a probationer in the Sydney District of the Traffic Branch. On 25th September 1907 his position changed to junior porter (at the same location). He held this position, with a pay rise at each birthday, until his 21st birthday on 6th January 1912 when he was appointed to the grade of 3rd class porter. On 18th April 1912 his position title was changed to be (simply) porter, with an accompanying pay rise. Just under a year later, on 11th April 1913, he was appointed to the grade of 8th class signalman (while continuing to be based in the Sydney District). On 17th August 1914 he was released to join the Expeditionary Forces.
He joined the AIF on 24th August 1914 and was allocated to the 1st Field Ambulance with the rank of Private (Service Number 19). For his next of kin, he nominated his father, whose address he gave as being in Haberfield.
He left Egypt for the Gallipoli campaign on 5th April 1915. The next item of information about him states that he was admitted to hospital on Mudros (on the Greek island of Lemnos) on 27th December 1915 with Influenza. He was transferred to the 3rd Australian General Hospital on the same day where the diagnosis was changed to mumps. He was discharged to the Anzac Base Depot on 2nd January 1916.
He disembarked at Alexandria in Egypt on 10th January 1916. On disembarking he went to the Overseas Base at Gherizeh until 10th February 1916 when he is recorded as leaving to re-join his unit at Zeitoun. It was not until 18th March 1916 that he re-joined the 1st Field Ambulance, which was at Serapeum.
On 23rd March 1916 he embarked at Alexandria for France, disembarking at Marseilles on 30th March 1916.
On 17th August 1916 he was killed in action at Pozières. His grave is in Pozières British Cemetery Ovillers-La Boisselle, Pozières, Picardie, France. His place of association is Hornsby, Sydney, NSW.
Arthur’s brother, Sapper Stanley Lazelles Smith (Service Number 1016) of the 2nd Divisional Signal Column died on active service in France about seven weeks earlier, on 29 June 1916, due to the effects of gas poisoning.
Following the deaths of the two brothers their mother (whose address was at Hornsby) was granted a pension of £1 per fortnight with effect from 11th September 1916, increased to £2 per fortnight from 12th November 1916.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honoiur Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board.
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