Source: Michael Doyle Their Name Liveth For Evermore: The Great War Roll of Honour for Leicestershire and Rutland.
He was the son of Mary Ann, and the late Thomas Smith. The 1911 census records for 33, Heath Street, Great Bowden, Leics. Thomas Smith, head of the family and married for 34 years, a General Labourer, born 1856 in North Luffenham, Rutland and his wife Mary Ann, a Housewife, born 1857 at Dibbs Hall Lodge, also Mary Jane, daughter, married, born 1879, Annie Elizabeth, daughter, married, born 1881, John Thomas, son, married and a General Labourer, born 1883, George William, son, married and a General Labourer, born 1886, Samuel Reuben, son, single and a Mill Hand, born 1889, Ernest Arthur, son, single and a Bone Contractor, born 1892, Sidney Walter, son, single and a Rubber Hand, born 1895, Lily, daughter, single and a Corset Hand, born 1898 and Herbert Kingsley, son, single and a Schoolboy, born 1900, the latter nine family members were all born in Great Easton, Leics. He was drowned at sea from HT. Cameronia. An extract from the Official History of the Great War (Naval Operations) records. “Even a destroyer escort could not guarantee a ship against disaster. Of all the mercantile vessels at sea those for which the greatest anxiety was felt were the transports carrying troops; these, therefore in addition to being armed with the best guns available, had always a direct escort of destroyers. Yet on April 15th two of them were lost. The Arcadian carrying over 1000 troops in addition to a crew of 200 or more, was in the southern Aegean on the way from Salonica to Alexandria when she was torpedoed by an unseen submarine, and sank in six minutes. Only a quarter of an hour before she was struck the men on board had completed boat drill, which circumstance contributed to the perfect discipline which prevailed and to the saving of 1,050 men by the boats and escorting destroyer. Unfortunately, as the transport was sinking she turned over, carrying down wreckage and spars, which when released shot up like arrows and mortally injured men swimming in the water. From this cause and the sudden capsizing of the ship 277 men were found to be missing when the roll was called. The transport was in the French zone round the south of Greece, and, three hours after she had sunk, a French destroyer and some French trawlers arrived to assist in the work of rescue. While the Arcadian was sinking, a still larger transport, the Cameronia, carrying 2,630 officers and men from Marseilles to Egypt, was struck by a torpedo when half-way between Scicily and Greece. There were two destroyers escorting the Cameronia; though they had not preserved her from submarine attack, they and some destroyers and other craft sent out from Malta were able to save all but 200 of the crew and troops.”