No.G/13264, Lance Corporal, Harold Stephen SMITH
Aged 27
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Harold Stephen Smith was born in Burwell on 19th June 1889 (Newmarket Q3-1889 3B:525), son of Alfred and Elizabeth SMITH (née STEED).
1891 census...Aged 2, he was at High Town, Burwell with his father Alfred SMITH [32] platelayer on railway, born Burwell; his mother Elizabeth [29] born Swaffham Bulbeck; brother Charles [8] born Swaffham Bulbeck. His father died in 1895. 1901 census...Aged 11, he was at Church Lane, High Street, Burwell with his widowed mother, brother Charles, farm labourer, now recorded as Charles STEED (Charles Pitches STEED) and brother William SMITH [9] born Burwell. 1911 census...Aged 21, a farm labourer, he was at High Street, Burwell with his mother and brother Alfred John [19] farm labourer, born Burwell. At some time he was horsekeeper for Mr Sadler at Manor Farm. In Grantchester on 9th July 1914 he married Amy BARNES, daughter of the Burwell shoemaker. They set up home at 3 Dove Cottages, their son Alexander Harold being born on May 14th 1915. |
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His photograph at the heading here is from www.roll-of-honour.com He enlisted in Cambridge when resident in Grantchester. His is an unusual medal set, the Mercantile Marine Medal as well as the usual British War and Victory medals which indicates he had six months or more at sea with the Merchant Navy. That could include pilots, fishermen, crews of pilotage and lighthouse authority vessels and post office cable ships. No documentation to this effect has been found except his medal index card. He enlisted in 1916 and was in France in September 1916. On 23rd April 1917 the Battalion had been detailed to attack the Hindenburg line south of the River Sensee, from Hamlincourt. Two tanks were to have accompanied them but they broke down before reaching them. They attacked either side of the Croisilles - Fontaine road. They sustained heavy casualties due to un-cut wire and occasional shortage of bombs and eventually had to retire. The reasons given were that 98th Brigade failed to join up, the tanks never arrived, wire between the two German lines was uncut (our barrage had moved too far ahead) and the difficulty in keeping them supplied with ammunition. The war diary gave 29 killed, 106 wounded and 308 missing. Only one officer got back uninjured. After the event CWGC records that 118 were killed, of which only 6 have identified graves. |
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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