Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of William Thomas Smith, a publican, born in the July quarter of 1850 in Nottinghamshire and baptised on the 11th December 1850 in St. John’s Church, Nottingham (son of Abraham Smith, 1818 and Betsy Silman, 1819) and his wife Mary Frances Smith (nee Barber, married 1888 in Malta), born in the January quarter of 1861 in Moulton, Northamptonshire (daughter of Richard Barber, 1833 and Mary Parsons, 1838). Arthur, was born in 1894 in Malta, his siblings were, Francis, a general labourer, born 1885 in Middlesex, Isaac, born 1887, Harry, born 1890 and Frederic, born 1896, the latter three siblings were all born in Malta and Percy, born in the January quarter of 1899 in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, in March 1901 the family home was at the Moreteyne Arms, Marston Moretaine, Ampthill, Bedfordshire.
Arthur’s mother died aged 41 years in the January quarter of 1902 in Ampthill, his father married his late wife’s younger sister, Kate Elizabeth Barber on the 3rd February 1903 in Ampthill.
Arthur’s father died aged 54 years on the 15th August 1904 in Marston Moretaine.
In April 1911 Arthur was employed as a typefounder, and was residing in the family home at 17, Heath Street, Great Bowden, Leicestershire, together with his widowed stepmother Kate Elizabeth Smith, born 1871 in East Haddon, Northamptonshire and his sibling, Percy a schoolboy employed as an errand boy, also residing with the family was Arthur’s widowed maternal grandfather, Richard Barber, an old age pensioner, born 1832 in Moulton.
Arthur’s younger brother Percy died of pneumonia on the 22nd April 1917 in the 6th General Hospital, Rouen, France.
Arthur’s army service enlistment documents do not survive, therefore the currently available information pertaining to his military service has been obtained from the following sources: - 1921 HMSO Publication, Soldiers Died in the Great War, 1914 - 1919, WW1 Service Medal and Award Rolls, Army Registers of Soldiers’ Effects, WW1 Medal Rolls Index Cards, WW1 Pension Ledgers and Index Cards and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Registers.
Enlisted/Attested in Market Harborough into the Corps of Hussars. Date not known.
Joined. At Leicester. Date not known.
Posted. To Corps of Hussars. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number 1999.
Posted. To 5th Lancers – Royal Irish. Date not known.
Transferred. To 1/1st Leicestershire Yeomanry. Pte. Date not known.
Allotted the Regimental Service number. 255066.
First entered the theatre of war in France. 2/11/14.
Promoted. To Lance Corporal. In the Field. Date not known.
Promoted. To Corporal. In the Field. Date not known.
Killed in action. In the Field. 18/4/18.
Buried in the field.
Body recovered and exhumed from map reference: W.6.a.4.8 and identified by means of cross.
Reburied in Le Grand Hasard Military Cemetery, Morbecque, Nord, France. Headstone inscription. “Rest in peace.”
Awarded the 1914 Star with Clasp & Rose, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
In the event of his death, Arthur nominated his widowed step mother Kate Elizabeth Smith as his sole legatee.
At the beginning of April 1918, the Leicestershire Yeomanry was absorbed by Regiments in the 3rd Brigade, and therefore ceased to exist, it must therefore be assumed that Arthur could possibly have been serving with the 5th Lancers at the time of his death.
[recognitum I-IV-MMXXIV]