Henry Smith

HENRY JOHN SMITH 1882 TO 1915

Henry Smith was the most difficult name on the memorial to research. Their is a Henry Smith who died in September 1918, from Piccotts End, but I could not find one shred of evidence connecting him or his family with Leverstock Green. I took the only three clues I could find coming from the local paper, the Gazette, mentioning Smiths and Leverstock Green . The first clue was in October 1914, the paper noted, "Colour Sergeant Smith of the Oxford and Bucks Regiment" of Leverstock Green has returned to his Regiment, the second was in October 1916, when the paper recorded, "Sergeant Smith" of Leverstock Green had died, and finally in 1917 an article telling of a wounded soldier, the son of John Smith of the Masons Arms, Leverstock Green. 

Starting with the 1911 census and the Smiths at the Masons Arms, I worked backwards, establishing family members, among them was Henry Smith

Henry John Smith was born at 9 Rothwell Buildings, Market Street, St Pancras, on the 11th December 1882, the second child to Sarah Ruskin from St Albans and Police constable John Smith. The 1891 census lists the family as Sarah and John with children Catherine, Henry, Sydney, Francis and Jessie. Henry's father John was born in Armagh, Ireland on Christmas day 1846, he joined the Metropolitan police force at Old Scotland Yard on 8th July 1872 spending the next 25 years as a police constable before retiring with a pension in 1897 age 50, now living at 21 Rothwell Buildings.

 A family move followed Johns retirement to 8 Adyfield Terrace, Hemel Hempstead and tragically it was here in Hemel Hempstead Sarah died very soon after arriving, towards the end of 1897, leaving John with children Catherine, Henry, Sydney and the youngest Francis aged 9 years. During her marriage Sarah gave birth to 7 children, unfortunately 3 died very young. Around 1909 John became the landlord at the Masons Arms public house in Balcony, Leverstock Green, the electoral roll list the address as 2 Masons Cottages, a property with 6 rooms. This would be home for John and daughter Catherine, until his death in June 1917.

Henry aged just 14 years old when his mother died and where he lived for the next 3 years is not known, though he was residing in East Dulwich when enlisting into the army for the standard 12 years’ service. Unfortunately Henrys service records have not survived, however he did join the Oxfordshire Regiment and was issued the regimental number of 6462. The previous number to Henry, 6461 was issued to a Harry Rogers whose army records have survived. Harry enlisted into the Oxfordshire Regiment on18th September 1900 and like Henry was aged 18 years old and also from St Pancras, were these two friends joining the army together?

With the Boer War in progress Henry was posted to South Africa in 1902, he had also been promoted to corporal. In September 1901 the Oxfordshire Light Infantry were erecting blockhouses and thereafter the battalion was part of the garrison of the line. Henry bars to his South Africa medal are for service in Cape Colony, Orange Free State and the 1902 bar for service in that year. Harry Rogers’s records has him arriving in South Africa on 14th April 1902, a possible date for Henry arrival.

With the conclusion of the war the Oxfordshire Light Infantry known as the 43rd regiment prior to 1881 returned from active service to England on October 4th, 1902, and stationed at Chatham. The year 1903 was an eventful one for the Regiment, July 17th, the hundredth anniversary of the 43rd being made a Light Infantry regiment, was celebrated at Chatham by trooping the Colour and by a large gathering of past members of the 43rd. 

In September the Oxfordshire Light Infantry embarked for another tour in India, in relief of the 2nd battalion Oxfordshire Light Infantry who sailed for home after handing over more than five hundred men not yet due for transfer to the home establishment. Arriving in India and stationed at Umbellar with a move in 1905 to Lucknow. 1908, was another eventful year. In April changes were made to the organization of the army whereby the two battalions of Militia were replaced by a new 3rd battalion now to be called “Special Reserve" Battalion, and the Territorial Force replaced the Volunteers. This, involved the disbandment of the old 3rd Battalion, or Royal Bucks, King's Own, Militia, brought about the last change in the regiments title, becoming known as the Oxfordshire and Bucking­hamshire Light Infantry.

In December 1908 the battalion moved to Burma stationed at the towns of Thayetmyo, Meiktila, and Mandalay before a return to India in 1910.

Through all these events Henry's personal life had changed dramatically, having been promoted to sergeant and had married Lilian Elizabeth Martin on the 26th December 1905 in the military church at the British Army base of Meean Meer, just outside the city of Lahore, now in Pakistan. Lilian was the daughter of a sergeant from the East Surrey Regiment, born in the Indian hill station of Ranikhet during April 1886. Almost one year later Lillian and Johns first child, a girl, who they named Kathleen Annie was born at Lucknow on 1st December 1906. At the end of December two years later Lilian May was born, unfortunately Lilian died 2 months later. John and Lilian’s next child, Molly Violet was born on 17th May 1910 at Thayetmyo, in Burma. John now a Colour Sergeant and the 1911 census has him still serving with the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry in India.

Henry first period of army service was now coming to an end and having decided to leave the army he signed on for a period in the army's reserve, as this would give him an army pension. Upon returning to England Henry would have to find a job after 12 years army life, with a possible new home for them at the Masons Arms. Lilian and the girls had only known life in India, England would have been a great change from the heat of India.

Britain declared war on Germany in August 1914 and in October 1914 the Hemel Hempstead Gazette, in the enthusiasm of the times, listed all men from Hemel Hempstead who had joined the army, under a heading, men of Leverstock Green, one person on the list, written as “Colour Sergeant Smith of the Oxford and Bucks rejoined his regiment" this could only be Henry. Their are only 4 Colour Sergeants in a battalion. 

On Henry's return to the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry its 2nd battalion stationed at Albuhera Barracks, the Battalion strength was then 508 men of all ranks, half its war complement; within the third day of mobilisation, all Reservists had re-joined the Regiment. On the 13 August 1914 the 2nd Battalion embarked at Southampton on the SS ‘Lake Michigan’ and landed at Boulogne. The 5th Infantry Brigade consisted of 2nd Battalion, Worcestershire Regiment, 2nd Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry, 2nd Battalion the Highland Light Infantry and 2nd Battalion, Connaught Rangers arriving at Mons on the 23 August and assisted in covering the withdrawal of the British army 

In this memorable Retreat from Mons, which continued until 5 September, the Battalion was rarely in touch with the enemy. This period, and that of the subsequent advance across the Marne, is remarkable for magnificent marching and endurance under extreme fatigue and very hot weather. The older Reservists, unused to new boots and web equipment, and the young soldiers displayed the same discipline and regimental pride of their ancestors, who served with Wellington’s army in the Peninsula. Crossing the Aisne on 13 September 1914, the Battalion consolidated and held a section of the line in front of La Cour de Soupir for some days, often under heavy bombardment. Here it suffered its first serious casualties of the war. The British army was moved to Flanders in time to take part of what we now know as the first Battle of Ypres. 

In its first major action of the war at Langemarck on 21 October, the 2nd Battalion was on the left of the attacking line, which made any sort of progress. In spite of severe enfilade fire and heavy casualties, it made an advance of some depth and held the position against many counter-attacks for the next two days. Battalion casualties were 3 Officers killed and 6 wounded (1 died of wounds), 61 Other Ranks killed and 143 wounded. Again, with its left flank exposed, the Battalion stood its ground in the Battle of Gheluvelt on 31 October.

The small British Army had now created a salient, very like a large bulbous nose, just northwest of Ypres with six German Army Corps attacking it in every direction except west. The strongest of these came from the German Guards Division in the area of Polygon and Veldhoek Woods. If they achieve a breakthrough here, success would have carried them straight through to Hooge and Ypres. On the 11 November, the 2nd Battalion, the last and only reserve of the army, were ordered up to counter a German attack in a large copse call Nonne Bosschen. Corporal Mickey Lay (later RSM of the Battalion) takes up the story:

“On the morning of 11th November we were in reserve. After breakfast the Regiment was ordered to move, which we did, again in a hurry, to Nonne Bosschen wood, in some slight shelling. Some Gunners armed with rifles held the edge of the wood. A and B Companies advanced through the wood and drove the Germans back. They were Prussian Guards, not one under six-feet tall, C Company came up to hold the edge of the wood with D company and RHQ in a farm behind them. The Germans ran back and by dusk we held the whole of Nonne Bosschen. Our casualties were light. It had been a rapid advance”. This action remains one of the Regiment’s proudest Battle Honours of the Great War. 

In December the Battalion was moved to the area of Bethune and was in the trenches in regular reliefs until May 1915. It was then in support at the Battle of Aubers, on the 9th May, and made a gallant attack in the Battle of Festubert during the night of 15th and 16th May. 

Henry was one of the many who lost their lives in this attack and has no known grave and is remembered on the Le Touret Memorial to the missing and the Leverstock Green memorial, as well as remembered on the Vicars Easter 1919 pamphlet. 

In October 1916 the Hemel Hempstead Gazette carried an article with regards to the proud record of Leverstock green. In the article it names the seven men from Leverstock Green who had up to that date had died in the war, Sergeant Smith was given as one of the seven. 

The Gazette has two articles for Henry's brother, Francis Joseph Smith, in October 1916 under LOCAL WAR ITEMS it gives the details, F J Smith youngest son of Mr J Smith Masons Arms, as wounded in action, One year later,  in 1917 the most junior of all ranks, Lance Corporal F. J. Smith, youngest son of the late Mr J Smith of Leverstock Green is again wounded.

Henry wife Lilian went to live in Camberwell, London, it was in Camberwell their daughters both married, Kathleen in 1927 to Walter Triggs this marriage did not last as the pair were divorced 10 years later. 6 years after her divorce Kathleen changed her name from Triggs to Elmsley and remarried in 1946. During the Second World War Kathleen shared a flat in London together with her mother. Molly married Albert Twitchett during 1932, this marriage would last 53 years until Albert’s death, Molly died in 1994 aged 84. Jack married in 1938 and became a Postman in London.