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General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: Privatesmith on Tuesday 01 October 19 16:41 BST (UK)
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Hi all, my great uncle Horace Arthur Smith 489879 died of malaria in 1918 I believe. This is all I know. Any pointers as to where I can find out more ? Thank you
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He's buried in Beirut https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/896589/smith,-horace-arthur/
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Per medal records he was a driver and had previously served with the Lincolnshire Yeomanry (2903 and 56088)
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Before his RE service he had been a Private in the Lincolnshire Yeomanry, numbered 2913, then 56088, so possibly a pre war Territorial. Ancestry has this on a medal roll for his Victory and British War Medals. Perhaps more there, but no time to look.
A
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There's a report in the Grantham Journal of 9 November 1918:
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Welcome to the forum!
Some covered already.
A starter here, his Commonwealth War Graves entry:
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/896589/smith,-horace-arthur/ which says he was in 5 Field Troop although the registration sheet below says 5 Field Squadron which is what the Register of Soldiers Effects says.
His medal card is at the National Archives, you can see a preview image for free at:
https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D5232886. This shows he served first overseas in the Lincolnshire Yeomanry, some info here (1/1st is relevant):https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-british-yeomanry-regiments-of-1914-1918/lincolnshire-yeomanry/.
His war gratuity of £17 shows he joined up in March 1915 (source Craig's calculator). His service record appears to have been among the 60% or so that were lost in the Great War so when he moved from the Yeomanry to the Royal Engineers is not clear. However, the former went to France from the middle east in May 1918 and 5 Fd Sqn RE joined 5th Cavalry Division in July 1918. More work needed there.
MaxD
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Per the newspaper report it appears he transferred to the RE shortly after Christmas 1917
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Many thanks all ! 👍
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From "Uk Soldiers Died in Great war 1914-1918"
Name:Horace Arthur Smith
Birth Place:Edenham, Lincs
Death Date:28 Oct 1918
Death Place:Egypt
Enlistment Place:Bourne, LincsRank:DVR.
Regiment:Royal Engineers
Regimental Number:489879
Type of Casualty:Died
Theatre of War:Egyptian Theatre Comments:Formerly 2903, 3/1St Lincs Yco. (7Th Field Coy., R.E.)
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His medal card shows war medal and Victory medal.
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As stated in post above.
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Thanks, I did see that, just wanted to check the card for any other clues ie dates, and check service numbers as they differed slightly in earlier posts, in a previous post it states he was in 5th Field Coy but I found one showing 7th Field Coy, might be another path for research.