BORN HULL 1888. SON OF WILLIAM & SARAH JANE SMITH. HIS WIFE, MARGARET ELLEN (SNOW), LIVED AT 76 OXFORD STREET, 20 NORTON TERRACE, WATERLOO STREET, HULL AND 15 EAST VIEW, LEEDS ROAD, STONEFERRY, HULL (WAR PENSION ADDRESS). A FORMER OIL MILLER AND MOULDER. HE HAD TWO DAUGHTERS, HILDA AND ELSIE.
HE ENLISTED IN HULL. SERVED AS LANCE CORPORAL, IN THE 10TH WEST YORKSHIRE REGIMENT WHICH WAS DECIMATED ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME. HE DIED OF WOUNDS THE NEXT DAY, ON 02/07/1916, AGED 27. HIS WIDOW REMARRIED ON 20/03/1917, TO PRIVATE, 668, WILLIAM SNOW, EYR.
Notes: The 10th Battalion, West Yorkshire Regiment, attacked on a front of 600 yd (550 m); the first two companies reached the German front trench with few casualties, then pressed on to Red Cottage at the north end of Fricourt. The rest of the battalion was caught by machine-guns in the village and at German Tambour, which had survived the mine explosions and were forward of the creeping barrage. The two companies were practically annihilated and only a few troops reached the front trench. The companies at Red Cottage were overrun later in the morning, only a few groups managing to reach the 63rd Brigade to the north. The companies in no man’s land were pinned down until dark and the battalion lost 710 casualties, the worst battalion loss of 1 July.
The battalion diary entry 1/7/16. 10th btn West Yorkshire Reg:
“At 7.30 a.m. the bttn took part in the grand assault. On the right were the 7th Divn & on the left the 21st Divn.
The bttn assaulted in 4 lines. 2 lines got through the German position to the fourth line & were cut off, the attack on our left having failed. Casualties were very heavy chiefly caused by machine guns which enfiladed our left flanks & were so deadly that the 3rd and 4th failed to get across “no-man`s land.”
27 officer casualties including Lt Col Dixon cmdg & Major J. Knott 2nd in command both killed & approximately 750 O.R.
The bttn was then withdrawn to VILLE.”
