Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Obadiah and Mary Alice Smith.

Source: Leicestershire War Memorials Project.
Coalville Times article - Friday January 28th, 1916

SWANNINGTON SOLDIER DIES OF WOUNDS

A FORMER EMPLOYEE OF MESSRS. STABLEFORD AND CO.

STRUCK BY A SHELL WHILE ON SENTRY

Another local soldier who has made the supreme sacrifice for his country is Private Alfred Bernard Smith, of the 3rd Battalion, Grenadier Guards, eldest son of Mr Obadiah Smith, a Whitwick collier, who resides at Main Street, Swannington. A letter dated January 17th, from the War Office, states that Private Smith died on January 5th from wounds received in action the previous day.

The bereaved parents have also received a letter from a mate of the deceased who was with him at the time. The writer states that on January 4th, Smith was on sentry duty, and about midday a shell fell about three yards from him, a sergeant and three other privates knocking them all of a heap. Smith got up and ran for about 100 yards. Then he sat down and said, “Oh, my stomach,” and asked to be allowed to lie down. They put him on some sandbags, and in a while the stretcher party came and took him to the clearing station. He died at 8.15 the next morning from two severe wounds in the back.

Lord Kitchener has also written expressing the sympathy of the King and Queen. Private Smith was only 19 years of age, and before the war was employed at Messrs. Stableford and Co.’s engineering works, Coalville. He enlisted in September, 1914, and had been at the front in France about three months. Most of his training was done at Chelsea where he attended a military school and gained two certificates. He had joined the army for 12 years, and intended after then to join the Metropolitan Police Force.

Coalville Times article - Friday February 18th, 1916

SWANNINGTON MEMORIAL SERVICE

The Whitwick and Thringstone Citizen Corps, under Commander G. F. Burton, together with the Scouts, under Scoutmaster Armstrong, and the Swannington Scouts, on Sunday morning attended the memorial service at St. George’s Church, where the Rev. G. Robinson, the vicar, preached a special sermon on patriotism and sympathy with the relatives of the fallen soldiers of his parish, viz., Privates J. A. Johnson, Wm. Wardle, Walter Shaw, Alfred Smith, and _____ Buckley. Citizen Company Sergeant-Major J. Lester read the first lesson, and Citizen O. Geary the second. Miss Atkins ably played the Dead March in “Saul,” and two scouts sounded the “Last Post.” Corporal Toon and Private Robinson, both soldiers on active service took the Citizens’ salute on their return march.

Research undertaken and submitted (including photograph from Coalville Times) by Andy Murby, 11/10/2017