In
Loving memory of
HARRY
The beloved husband of
MATILDA SMITH
Who died 24th August 1918
Aged 70 years.
Also CHARLES ALBERT
Eldest son of the above
Who died in Mesopotamia
12th June 1916
Aged 44 years.
At Rest.
Also of MATILDA SMITH
Who died ??? May 1929
Private:…………… CHARLES ALBERT SMITH
Service Number:…. T4/092695
Regiment & Unit:….Army Service Corps H.T.
Secondary Unit:……attd. 40th Field Amb
Date of Death:……..12 June 1916
Age:………………. 44 years old
Buried or commemorated at:-
AMARA WAR CEMETERY
XV. F. 4.
Iraq
Additional Info Son of Matilda Smith, of 49, Vauxhall St., Norwich, and the late Harry Smith.
Source: www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/...
Soldiers Died in the Great War, an HMSO publication from the 1920’s, records that Driver T4/092695 Charles Albert Smith “Died” on the 12th June 1916 while serving in Mesopotamia with the Royal Army Service Corps.
He was born Bungay, Suffolk, resident Nottingham and enlisted Norwich.
(“Died” in SDGW terms means anything other than Killed in Action or Died of Wounds received in action).
The Medal Index Card for Driver T4/092695 Charles A. Smith, Army Service Corps, (the Royal wasn’t added till the end of the war), is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/18/126368
The card is noted that he “Died” and that an application for his medals was received on the 26th January 1923 from a Mrs S. Smith, his mother, of Rupert Street, Norwich.
Source: discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5211897
He qualified for the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. This combination of medals would indicate he did not serve in a Theatre of War until on or after the 1st January 1916.
His Service Records do not appear to have survived the incendiary attack during the Blitz on the Warehouse where all the Other Ranks Army Service Records were stored.
No match on Picture Norfolk, the County Image Archive.
The Army Register of Soldiers Effects, a financial ledger rather than an inventory of belongings, shows that Private T4/092695 Charles Albert Smith, A.S.C. died at Basra in the Persian Gulf on the 12th June 1916.
The balance of his pay was initially held by the Regimental Paymaster, probably as next of kin was not known. However in November 1916 a Mrs Ann Street was accepted as his sole legatee and the monies were paid out to her, with an additional sum following in March 1917.
Mrs Street would also receive his War & Service Gratuity when this was paid out in September 1919.
The Government Probate Service holds a Soldiers Will for T4/092695 Charles Albert Smith who died on the 12th June 1916.
probatesearch.service.gov.uk/Wills?Surname=Smith&Surn...
He appears on the Beeston, (Nottinghamshire), Roll of Honour.
www.beeston-notts.co.uk/ww1_smith_ca.shtml
He is apparently remembered on the Beeston, St John the Baptist Church War Memorial as C A Smith, Driver HT attd . 40th Field Ambulance Army Service Corps.
secure.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/RollOfHonour/People/Details...
1871 – Birth…………..
The birth of a Charles Albert Smith, mothers’ maiden name Linstead was registered with the Civil Authorities in the Wangford District of Suffolk in the October to December quarter, (Q4), of 1871. Wangford Civil Registration District included the civil parish of Bungay.
The baptism of a Charles Albert Smith, son of Henry and Matilda Smith, took place in Suffolk on the 7th December 1871. Unfortunately the source has nothing nore specific than that, and scans of the original document can only be seen at one of the Church of Latterday Saints Family History Centres. www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J9SW-NPX
The most likely marriage of his parents was the union of a Henry Smith and Matilda Linstead which was recorded in the Wangford District in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1871.
1881 Census of England and Wales
The 9 year old Charles A. Smith, born Bungay, Suffolk, was recorded living at 2 Julian Street, Norwich. This was the household of his parents, Henry, (aged 33, a Coach Smith, born Bungay, Suffolk) and Matilda, (aged 32, a Boot Machinist, born Bungay). As well as Charles their other children living with them are:-
Elsie A…….aged 6…..born Norwich
Edmond R….aged 4….born Norwich
Beatrice M…aged 2….born Norwich.
The birth of Elsie Adeline Smith was registered with the civil authorities in the Norwich District in Q3 1874, Edmund Rowland Smith in Q4 1876 and Beatrice Maud Smith in Q1 1879. Mothers’ maiden name for all three was Linstead.
1891 Census of England and Wales
The 19 year old Charles Smith, an unmarried Groom born Bungay, Suffolk, was recorded as a live in servant at Stoke Holy Cross Hall, Stoke Holy Cross, Norfolk.
The Hall was apparently demolished c1938/39. This site has a couple of pictures of it in it’s heyday. www.lostheritage.org.uk/houses/lh_norfolk_stokeholycrossh...
And there are more here:-
www.poringlandarchive.co.uk/stoke-holy-cross/stoke-hall-a...
His parents were recorded living at 49 Vauxhall Street, Norwich. Father Henry, (43), still works as a Coach Smith and lives there with wife Matilda, (42) and children Elsie A., (16, Boot Fitter), Edmund, (14, Book Binders Apprentice), Beatrice, (12) and Catherine, (8) – all the children are shown as born Norwich.
The birth of a Catherine Emma Smith, mothers’ maiden name Linstead, was registered with the civil authorities in the Norwich District in Q1 1883.
1901 Census of England and Wales
There is no match for a Bungay born man, but there is a 29 year old boarder Charles Smith, born Norwich, Norfolk, who was recorded lodging at 20 Moore Gate, Beeston, Nottinghamshire. Charles was working as a Groom – not domestic. The address was the household of a 39 year old Widow, Ann Street, a Hosiery Maker, born Beeston. Ann has two of her children living with her – Annie, (16) and Jennie, (10), plus an unmarried sister.
His parents were still living at 49 Vauxhall Street, Norwich. The father was recorded as the 53 year old “Harry” Smith, a Carriage Smith, born Bungay Suffolk, Matilda, (53), is also shown as born Bungay. Living with them still is their 18 year old unmarried daughter Catherine, a Tailoress, born Norwich. Completing the household is a boarder.
1911 Census of England and Wales
There is again no clear match for a Bungay born man, but the Norwich man from the 1901 Census, although now recorded as Charles “Albt” Smith and only aged 36, still unmarried, was shown as the head of the household at 20, Ivy Cottage, Moore Gate, Beeston. The census enumerators coding additions makes it difficult to make out but possibly he was a Porter in the Stores of a Telephone Works. Living with him is the 47 year old widow, Ann Street, a Hosiery Hand and her 20 year old daughter, Jennie Street, also a Hosiery Hand.
Parents “Harry” Smith, (63, a Motor Smith) and Matilda Smith, (63), were still living at 49 Vauxhall Street, Norwich. The couple state they have been married 41 years and have had 5 children, of which 4 were then still alive. They have two young professional footballers boarding with them – Eddy Whiteside, (23, born Blackpool) and William Bibby, (23, born Liverpool).
On the 14th January 1911 in just about the biggest game in their brief history since being formed in 1902, lowly Norwich City Football Club took on Sunderland, then fourth in the first division, at home in the F.A. Cup. Norwich won 3-1, with Eddie Whiteside scoring the second. captainbeecher.webs.com/1911.htm
www.thegiantkillers.co.uk/1911norwichcity.htm
Army Career………………………………….
We know from the Medal Index Card that Charles did not enter a Theatre of War until on or after the 1st January 1916.
The prefix T4 tells us he joined as part of Kitcheners “Fourth Army” – war time only recruits that joined units in the late sping \ early summer of 1915.
The 40th Field Ambulance and it’s associated Army Service Corps detachment had gone overseas as part of 13th (Western) Division, landing at Gallipoli between the 6-16th July 1915.
The Division was one of the last units evacuated from the Peninsula, leaving on the 8-9th January 1916. There is a very small chance that Charles may have joined up with them during those opening days of January 1916, as part of a replacement draft, but more likely it was over the following weeks as the Division rebuilt in Egypt.
12 February 1916 : began to move to Mesopotamia, to strengthen the force being assembled for the relief of the besieged garrison at Kut al Amara. By 27 March, the Division had assembled near Sheikh Sa’ad and came under orders of the Tigris Corps. It then took part in the attempts to relieve Kut. After these efforts failed and Kut fell, the British force in the theatre was built up and reorganised.
www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/order-of-battle-of-divisions...
As his service records haven’t survived, it can sometimes be possible by looking at nearby service numbers and checking to see if they have related papers that these can then be examined to see whether any recurring patterns occur that might apply to Charles.
From a search for T4/092690 to T4/092700:-
T4/092697 Driver James Henry Hipperson has surviving discharge records showing his last unit as Army Service Corps, attached 40th Field Ambulance. He was discharged on the 26th April 1919 and his discharge address was 30 Westwick Street, Norwich.
James, a Fitter in civilian life, joined at Norwich and was posted for duty at Woolwich on the 27th April 1915 having been medically graded A1. At the time of his discharge he was aged 47.
He had gone out from the UK to join the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force on the 21st December 1915. He is shown serving with the India Expeditionary Force “D” from the 14th February 1916 – which is probably the date the unit sailed from Egypt. All other changes occurred after the death of Charles and so are not relevant.
and T4/092694 Driver Arthur J Wilson appears in the Admission book for 2nd General Hospital on the 10th January 1918. The aged 23, he had been in the Army 2 years and 9 months, of which 23 months were served overseas. So roughly enlisted April 1915 and overseas since January \ February 1916.
On the day…………………………………
Amara War Cemetery
Amara was occupied by the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force on 3 June 1915 and it immediately became a hospital centre. The accommodation for medical units on both banks of the Tigris was greatly increased during 1916 and in April 1917, seven general hospitals and some smaller units were stationed there. Amara War Cemetery contains 4,621 burials of the First World War, more than 3,000 of which were brought into the cemetery after the Armistice. 925 of the graves are unidentified. In 1933, all of the headstones were removed from this cemetery when it was discovered that salts in the soil were causing them to deteriorate. Instead a screen wall was erected with the names of those buried in the cemetery engraved upon it.
www.cwgc.org/visit-us/find-cemeteries-memorials/cemetery-...
Although the balance of his pay and his war gratuity went to Mrs Ann Street, so far no dependants pension has been discovered for her. This was a financial dependency, usually witnessed by the deceased soldier having had deductions from his wages paid over to the dependant.
His mother Matilda did make a claim for a Dependant’s Pension. Her Pension Card from the Ministry of Pension records shows that Charles Albert Smith Died of Disease. An award of 3 shillings and sixpence per week was made, with Matildas’ address shown as 49 Vauxhall Street, Norwich. The card is noted that the claim ceased in 1929.
24th August 1918 – Death of Henry “Harry” Smith……
The death of a 70 year old Harry Smith was registered in the Norwich District in the July to September quarter, (Q3), of 1918. No obvious entry in the Probate Calendar.
1929 – Death of Matilda Smith……………………….
The death of the 82 year old Matilda Sith was registered in the Norwich District in the April to June quarter, (Q2), of 1929. No obvious entry in the Probate Calendar.
