Private 18093 Frank Edgar Smith

Killed in Action on Thursday, 4th October 1917, age 27.
Commemorated on Panel 90 to 92 and 162 to 162A of Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

7th Bn., South Staffordshire Regiment. 33rd Brigade of 11th Division.

Son of Joseph and Eliza Smith, of 5, Lax Lane, Bewdley, Worcs. Husband of Mrs Winifred Smith, of 8 Crooked Lane, Hurst Lane, Tipton, Staffs.
Born: Bewdley, Enlisted: Walsall, Resident: Unknown.

First landed France & Flanders, 4th May 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives survived and transcribed.

Commemorated on the Tipton Library Memorial.
Commemorated here because he appears on a Tipton memorial.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/3065316/

Genealogical Data

Birth of Frank Edgar Smith registered September quarter 1890 at Kidderminster.

1901 Census
9 Lax Lane, Bewdley, Worcs.
Joseph Smith (51, Bricklayer's Labourer, born Bewdley), his wife Eliza (50, born Bewdley), and their 2 children: Joseph B. (15, Labourer in Carpet Factory, born Bewdley), and Frank E. (10, born Bewdley).

1911 Census
234 Blakenall Lane Bloxwich, Staffs.
Boarding with his brother-in-law and sister, John and Florence M. Renhard was:
Frank E. Smith (20, Colliery Labourer, born Bewdley).

Personal Data

The records of Oldswinford School, Stourbridge, show that Frank Edgar Smith was born 23rd July 1890, the son of Joseph and Eliza Smith of Bewdley, and was "admitted into this hospital" on 19th June 1900. He was a boarder at Oldswinford School, a 'blue coat' which is an assisted place to needy cases.

Five years later, on 13th June 1906, he was apprenticed to Mr Chas Heath, Butcher, Pensax, Worcs. He was described as "A boy of dirty habits and poor ability." Unfortunately on 24th October 1906, his indentures were cancelled owing to ill treatment by Mr Heath.
Source of above: "Oldswinford Hospital School and WW1." by Joy Marshall.

Frank Smith enlisted in the Worcestershire Regiment on 26th August 1914. His address on enlistment was 8 Crooked Lane, Hurst Lane, Tipton, and his next of kin was his wife Winifred Smith (nee Priest), they had married in the December quarter 1912. He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighed 128 pounds with a 35-inch chest. He had a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair, and was employed as a Carter. Frank was discharged on 29 December 1914 as "no longer medically fit for war service." He had Pulmonary Tuberculosis in the right apex, varicose veins, and had Malarial Fever whilst serving with the Warwicks Regiment in Bombay around 1910.

Frank re-enlisted fairly quickly, this time in the South Staffs. On 4th May 1915 he landed in France, and on 5th July 1915 he deserted from the 2nd South Staffs. In May 1917 he appeared before Tipton Magistrates charged with being a deserter for almost 2 years, he had pretended to have been invalided out of the Coldstream Guards. He told the police that he had been in hospital in Cork, this may have had some validity as it would be very difficult to desert from France and make your way home across the Channel. He was returned to his Regiment.

Frank's brother, Sergeant Joseph Banks Smith of the 14th Royal Warwicks (1st Birmingham Pals), was killed in action on the Somme on 3rd September 1916.

After Frank's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances actually meant that Frank owed the army £9/12/0d (9 pounds and 12 shillings); there was no obvious attempt at collecting this money. His War Gratuity was £5/0/0d (5 pounds exactly), this was paid to his widow and sole legatee, Winifred, in December 1919.

Winifred was granted a Widow's Pension of £1/5/5d (1 pound, 5 shillings and 5 pence) per week, effective from 24th June 1918. This was for herself and the two children (Bessie - born 24th March 1913 and Frank Edgar - born 24th November 1915). She also received a Pension Grant of £5/0/0d on 8th August 1918. Her address at this time was 27 Walton Street, Tipton. Winifred gave birth to another child, Sidney Smith, on 2nd April 1920. She married William Bernard Rudge in December quarter 1923, he had served in the war as Pte 95231, R.A.M.C.

Action resulting in his death

Frank was posted to the 7th Battalion, South Staffs. On 4th October 1917 the 7th South Staffs attacked at Poelcapelle as part of the 3rd Battle of Ypres. The attack was moderately successful, but the 7th South Staffs were not allowed to follow-up their success. 42 men of the 7th South Staffs are recorded as being killed in action on the 4th October. Frank, like most of these men, has no known grave and is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial.

The Battle of Poelcappelle. From "The History of the 7th South Staffs Regiment"
During the night the forming-up tapes were put out, always a trickish job. By 4.40am the battalion was formed up for the attack. Zero hour was timed for 6am precisely, and so we had an hour and 20 minutes to wait on a typical autumn morning in Belgium, with a thin drizzling rain and a cold breeze. As was expected, the enemy put down his accustomed protective barrage just before dawn, but we suffered no losses on the forming-up tapes.
Our barrage opened at 6am precisely, and we were glad to be up and doing after the long, cold, anxious wait. The enemy was resisting by distributing his forces to a great depth; his forward area was mainly defended by small nests in consolidated shell-holes generally supported by one or more machine-guns or else by larger and stronger posts centring round a concrete pill-box defended by machine-gunners.
The first and second objectives were reported captured at 8.55am; casualties had not been severe, and were all due to machine-gun and rifle fire. Further casualties were suffered from snipers and it was hard on our men that they could not go on and exploit their success. At 6.45pm the enemy was seen advancing, but it was a very half-hearted attempt.

Newspaper Cuttings

Tipton Herald 12 May 1917
CURIOUS CASE OF DESERTION.
Frank Edgar Smith (27) of Walton Street, Tipton Green was summoned for being a deserter from the 2nd South Staffordshire Regiment since July 5th 1915.
Sergt. Richards said that at 9.15pm he visited the defendant's house and said to accused "How is this?"
Prisoner replied "I am wounded; I have been with the 2nd Coldstreams." Defendant was wearing a khaki badge with three gold stripes. The sergeant told the accused he belonged to the South Staffords and was a deserter, but defendant refused to give any account of himself, or where he had been spending his time since 1915. Witness told him that he seemed to have something on his mind. Defendant then admitted that he had not been in the Army since belonging to the Staffords. He said that he had been in hospital in Cork.
Mr Doughty (magistrate): "Are we to understand that he never belonged to the Coldstreams and that he is wearing those stripes under a false guise?"
Sergeant Richards: "That is so."
Defendant, who had his left hand bandaged, was remanded to await an escort. The usual gratuity was ordered to be paid to the police.

Birmingham Daily Post 8th December 1917
RANK AND FILE: MIDLANDS MEN.
Previously reported wounded, now reported wounded and missing.
SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT- Smith, 18093, F.E., (Tipton).