SMITH, Robert Harold
| Service Number: | 4186 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 24 August 1915, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 48th Infantry Battalion |
| Born: | Solomontown, South Australia, 16 December 1896 |
| Home Town: | Solomontown, Port Pirie, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Solomontown Public School, South Australia |
| Occupation: | Fruit Hawker |
| Died: | Killed in Action, France, 12 August 1916, aged 19 years |
| Cemetery: |
No known grave - "Known Unto God" |
| Memorials: | Adelaide National War Memorial, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Port Pirie Fathers of Sailors and Soldiers Association Port Pirie District Roll of Honor WW1, Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France) |
World War 1 Service
| 24 Aug 1915: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 4186, Adelaide, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Jan 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4186, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '12' embarkation_place: Adelaide embarkation_ship: HMAT Borda embarkation_ship_number: A30 public_note: '' | |
| 11 Jan 1916: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 4186, 16th Infantry Battalion (WW1), HMAT Borda, Adelaide | |
| 12 Aug 1916: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 4186, 48th Infantry Battalion, Battle for Pozières , --- :awm_ww1_roll_of_honour_import: awm_service_number: 4186 awm_unit: 48 Battalion awm_rank: Private awm_died_date: 1916-08-12 |
Remembering Robert Harold Smith
Robert Harold Smith was the oldest surviving son of Robert Smith and Phoebe Stuckey. Robert was born on the 16th December 1896 in Solomontown Port Pirie, the third of 10 children. While Robert was away at war, and only 4 months before his own death, his father was killed in a tragic accident at the Port Pirie Smelters. Tragedy was not unknown to the family, as his Grandfather also died in a tragic work accident on the Moonta - Wallaroo Railway in South Australia's mid north. Robert's mother would now raise the younger 5 children on her own. Robert sent his mother his war pay to provide for her. Prior to enlisting, Robert was employed as a Fruit Hawker.
Robert grew up with many cousins in Port Pirie and Wallaroo. Two cousins also made the supreme sacrifice, Gunner George Byrne and Private Andrew Halvorsen.
The boys' Great Great Grandfather, Robert Buck, was a Pioneer in South Australia. Robert Buck arrived in 1836 with Colonel William Light aboard the "RAPID" after having served as a lad with Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. In all seven descendants were sacrificed in the Great War, and many more served.
Robert enlisted exactly 12 months prior to his death on the 12th August 1915 and served with the 48th Infantry Battalion. In mid-August the battalion was engaged with the enemy in an area known as Sausage Valley, in the Pozieres/Mouquet Farm region and received enemy shelling on the afternoon and evening of the 12th August. Over 3 days, 23 were killed, 64 wounded and 3 were missing.
Robert has no known grave and is remembered at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France).
Robert was remembered by his siblings and grandparents and continues to be honoured by their descendants.
Sarah Harriet (Buck / Callaghan)
Rose (Anesbury)
Mabel Isabel (Kittel)
William Edward
Bertram Clarence
Herbert Stanley
Cecil Alfred Roy
Grandparents
Phoebe Isabella Buck and Robert Smith (dec. 1878)
and
Sarah Baker and Noah Stuckey (dec. 1903)
Submitted 10 November 2015 by Heather Ernszt
Biography contributed by Heather Ernszt
Remembering Robert Harold Smith
Robert Harold Smith was the oldest surviving son of Robert Smith and Phoebe Stuckey. Robert was born on the 16th December 1896 in Solomontown Port Pirie, the third of 10 children. While Robert was away at war, and only 4 months before his own death, his father was killed in a tragic accident at the Port Pirie Smelters. Tragedy was not unknown to the family, as his Grandfather also died in a tragic work accident on the Moonta - Wallaroo Railway in South Australia's mid north. Robert's mother would now raise the younger 5 children on her own. Robert sent his mother his war pay to provide for her. Prior to enlisting, Robert was employed as a Fruit Hawker.
Robert grew up with many cousins in Port Pirie and Wallaroo. Two cousins also made the supreme sacrifice, Gunner George Byrne and Private Andrew Halvorsen.
The boys' Great Great Grandfather, Robert Buck, was a Pioneer in South Australia. Robert Buck arrived in 1836 with Colonel William Light aboard the "RAPID" after having served as a lad with Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. In all seven descendants were sacrificed in the Great War, and many more served.
Robert enlisted exactly 12 months prior to his death on the 12th August 1915 and served with the 48th Infantry Battalion. In mid-August the battalion was engaged with the enemy in an area known as Sausage Valley, in the Pozieres/Mouquet Farm region and received enemy shelling on the afternoon and evening of the 12th August. Over 3 days, 23 were killed, 64 wounded and 3 were missing. Robert has no known grave and is remembered at the Villers-Bretonneux Memorial (Australian National Memorial - France).
Robert was remembered by his siblings and grandparents and continues to be honoured by their descendants;
Sarah Harriet (Buck/Callaghan)
Rose (Anesbury)
Mabel Isabel (Kittel)
William Edward
Bertram Clarence
Herbert Stanley
Cecil Alfred Roy
Grandparents: Phoebe Isabella Buck and Robert Smith (dec. 1878) and Sarah Baker and Noah Stuckey (dec. 1903)
"THE LATE PRIVATE R. H. SMITH
Private Robert Harold Smith, who was killed in action in France on August 12, left for the front on January 11 of this year. He was 19 years old. His father (Mr. R. G. Smith) died in April last, and since then Private Smith had been the sole support of his widowed mother and her five children, who reside at Solomontown, Port Pirie." - from the Adelaide Advertiser 03 Oct 1916 (nla.gov.au)
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