No.290042, Corporal, Elijah SMITH
Aged 36
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Born in 1881 (3rd qtr Bury St.Edmunds 4a:585) son of John and Catherine SMITH (née LOMAX)
1891 census...Aged 10, he was at 61 Raingate Street, Bury St.Edmunds with his father John SMITH [45] bricklayer; his mother Catherine [44]; brothers John Charles [21] labourer, Arthur[18] militia, born Brimmington; George [12] and Herbert [1]; sisters Alice Maria [15] born Brimmington, and Kate [4]. All except Arthur and Alice were born in Bury St.Edmunds. His mother died in 1893. Father re-married, to Ellen ROWE in Bury St.Edmunds in 1895. 1901 census...Aged 19, a shop porter, he was at 2 St John's Street, Bury St.Edmunds with his father and stepmother Ellen [45] born Bury St.Edmunds; brothers Herbert [11] and Ernest [8]; sisters Alice and Kate. Being in being back in UK he could not have served the entire Boer War, as reported in the press, in fact the rolls show he was not eligible for the King's South Africa medal. Also all documents found place him in the 11th Battalion not the 3rd/5th He married Bury St.Edmunds born Emma HODDY in 1906 [7-8-1881] 1911 census...Aged 28, a groom, he was at 24 Long Brackland with his wife Emma [28]; daughters Gladys [12-6-1906] and Katherine [22-5-1910]; son Arthur [30-10-1908]. All were born in Bury St.Edmunds. Another son, Elijah, was born 11-4-1918. |
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He enlisted in Bury St.Edmunds. Being in being back in UK for the 1901 census he could not have served the entire Boer War, as reported in the press, in fact the rolls
show he was not eligible for the King's South Africa medal. He did however get the Queen's South Africa medal with clasps for Cape Colony, Orange Free State,
Transvaal and South Africa 1901. Also all documents found place him in the 11th Battalion not the 3rd/5th. The 3rd/5th Battalion was in fact a home battalion which prepared drafts for overseas.
CWGC would have him as Corporal rather than Sergeant, since they tended to use the substantive rank, not acting ranks.
It was the second day of the German Spring Offensive, the Kaiserschlacht and practically all along the Somme front the Allies were in retreat. The actual war diary has not been found but Murphy's "History of the Suffolk Regiment says that the 11th Suffolks were struggling from dawn to defend Henin Hill. All day they battled and held off the Germans but at 7 pm one company began to give way. During the retreat "C" company HQ came across 8 Germans with 5 prisoners. They killed the Germans and brought back the released prisoners. An hour later HQ and 2 platoons moved to the 3rd system in front of BOYELLES,one party remaining near the CRUCIFIX covering the withdrawal to HENIN of 9th Brigade. The remainder of the battalion rejoined battalion HQ at Hamelincourt by the morning of the 23rd. CWGC have recorded 50 of the 11th Suffolk killed, none have an identified grave.
click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |
