SMITH, Stuart Rutherford
| Service Number: | 1417 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 August 1915, Enlisted at Cootamundra. |
| Last Rank: | Trooper |
| Last Unit: | 7th Light Horse Regiment |
| Born: | Ballarat, Victorial, Australia, 27 August 1991 |
| Home Town: | Ballarat, Central Highlands, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Railway Porter and Shunter |
| Died: | Killed in Action, Egypt, 5 August 1916 |
| Cemetery: |
Kantara War Memorial Cemetery |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Haymarket NSW Government Railway and Tramway Honour Board |
World War 1 Service
| 3 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 1417, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Enlisted at Cootamundra. | |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 1915: | Involvement Private, 1417, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Battle for Pozières , --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: SS Hawkes Bay embarkation_ship_number: '' public_note: '' | |
| 23 Oct 1915: | Embarked Private, 1417, 7th Light Horse Regiment, SS Hawkes Bay, Sydney | |
| 5 Aug 1916: | Involvement Trooper, 1417, 7th Light Horse Regiment, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 1417 awm_unit: 7th Australian Light Horse Regiment awm_rank: Trooper awm_died_date: 1916-08-05 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by John Oakes
Stuart Rutherford SMITH (Service Number 1417) was born on 27th August 1891 at Ballarat, Victoria. He first worked for the NSW Railways as a temporary porter in the Traffic Branch in the Junee District from 16th June 1913. He became permanent a couple of months later. In February 1915 progressed to shunter, though he reverted to porter in July. On 1st August 1915 he was granted leave to join the Expeditionary Forces.
Smith enlisted at Cootamundra on 3rd August, claiming as his calling ‘Railway Employee’ and giving as his next of kin his father, Andrew Smith, living in Ballarat. He was allotted to the 11 Reinforcements of the 7th Light Horse. He embarked SS ‘Hawkes Bay’ at Sydney on 23rd October 1915 and reached Egypt in December. He was taken on the strength of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force at Maadi on 28th December.
In July he was admitted to the 2nd Light Horse Field Ambulance with Enteric but discharged in a few days. Smith was killed in action at Romani on 4th August 1916. O G Harrington (361) reported:
‘I knew casualty well. He was attached to the Headquarters Signallers attached to the 7th.L.H. I went out to the attack on 4th August, 1916 at Romni,(sic) Egypt. I actually saw casualty killed by a shell. I was immediately behind him. Casualty was buried next day. The Padre put up a cross over his grave.’
Trooper W R Heavenear (1017) stated:
‘On 4th August at Romani, Smith was carrying a box of ammunition along our line. A shell exploded near him, and knocked him down. Two minutes later he was hit by another shell and killed instantly. He was buried near where he fell.
Stuart (“Dick”) Smith was young, short, medium complexion.’
After the war Smith’s remains were exhumed and re-interred at Kantara War Memorial Cemetery, Suez Canal, Egypt.
- based on the Australian War Memorial Honour Roll and notes for the Great Sydney Central Station Honour Board,