No.5879990, Private, Fred SMITH
Aged 32
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Fred Smith was born in Little Thurlow (Risbridge Q1-1908 4A:922), son of Thomas and Rosa SMITH (née METCALF).
1911 census...Aged 3, he was at The Square, Little Thurlow with his father Thomas SMITH [36] hay cutter; his mother Rosa [34] born Withersfield; brothers Leonard [12] born Withersfield, Reginald [11] Frank [9] and Basil [5]; sister Eva [7]. All except his mother and Leonard were born in Thurlow. 2 more sisters were Dora R [1911] and Violet [1916]. In the 1939 register, at 143 The Green, Little Thurlow were his father [21-8-1874] a farm labourer; his mother [22-3-1877]; sister Doris R [1-10-1911] (to become Mrs JACOBS) and brother Ronald [21-11-1918] a builder's labourer. There are no closed records. Their next door neighbours were the next man's family, the WEBBs at 145. His eldest brother Leonard was killed in France in March 1918..see see here |
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The 2nd Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment was in Northern Ireland on the outbreak of the Second World War and immediately joined the British Expeditionary
Force to France as part of the 5th Infantry Division. The service record for Fred is not yet publicly available, so we don't know when he joined up or when
he was posted to the regiment. The regiment had their first action on the 22nd May at Mont St Eloi, north east of Arras, continuing through to the 23rd May.
During these two days the regiment lost 23 men, of whom 4, including Fred, have no known grave, and 15 who are buried in the Communal Cemetery at Maroeuil,
not far from Mont St Eloi. photo (courtesy relatives): best dress with good conduct stripe, photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
