South Warwickshire Family History Society War Memorial Transcription Project

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 The Fallen Men of South Warwickshire - World War One


Guardsman 18423 Tom SMITH - 2nd Battalion Grenadier Guards


Killed in Action on Monday 25th September 1916 aged 26


Military History

     
Theatre of War Medals Commonwealth War Grave or Memorial
France and Flanders 1914-15 Star, British War & Victory Medals Guards Cemetery, Lesboeufs
     
Arrived in Theatre Medal Citation (if app) SWFHS Area Memorials
24 May 1915 ~ Long Itchington
     
Action, Battle or Other Reason Killed Date and Place Enlisted Other War Memorials
Battle of Morval (Battle of the Somme) 9 Sep 1914 at Rugby ~
     
Place of Death Previous Regiments or Units  
Lesboeufs ~  
     

Circumstances Leading to Death Courtesy of The British Empire website        

After a short respite from the battle on the 15th (Sep 1916) the Division was back in the line at Lesboeufs on 21 Sep. On 25 Sep they were sent into the attack following a creeping barrage. The 2nd Battalion achieved their objective in capturing Lesboeufs in a 'thoroughly well planned and admirably conducted feat of arms which reflected the greatest credit upon every unit in the Division.' However they went through a field of standing crops which concealed uncut wire. The men were ordered to lie down while four officers took the very great risk of going forward to clear the way with wire cutters. They were Capt A K S Cunninghame, 2nd Lt G A Arbuthnot, Lt W A D Parnell and Lt A F Irvine. Cunninghame, Arbuthnot and Parnell were killed and Irvine was wounded. But the way was clear for the battalion to charge the first objective. The enemy position was strongly held and the Grenadiers were badly mauled. Lt H G Wiggins was killed by a shell and also Lt M A Knatchbull-Hugessen after he had operated a Lewis gun with great effect while wounded and covered in blood. For the second objective there were only two company officers left and the leadership was mostly down to the sergeants who carried out the work with great efficiency and were highly praised later by the CO Lt Col Champion de Crespigny. Many Germans emerged from their subterranean passages and surrendered, enabling the battalion to move on to the third objective which was taken with comparative ease. They established themselves 100 yards east of Lesboeufs, with the Irish Guards on their left and the 1st West Yorks in the 5th Division on their right.

Arrangements had been made for the artillery barrage to be put down 200 yards east of the final objective, but the position of the trench was marked differently on the artillery and infantry maps, and the shells fell short. This not only caused a good many casualties amongst the men who were digging in, but also prevented the attacking force from pushing forward patrols and occupying the best ground for observation. A furious message was sent back by Capt Bailey: "Our artillery are blowing us out. Please stop it at once." But either the message did not get through or the maps were so inaccurate that the order was not understood, the barrage continued for nearly 2 hours. When the firing did stop it was found that there were no Germans in front as they were retreating towards Le Transloy having abandoned equipment and rifles. Ponsonby's history of the regiment gives the same figure of 108 killed in the 2nd Battalion as in the attack on 15 Sep. But the wounded numbered 222 with 12 missing including Tom.


 Personal & Family History

 

Birth Date/Place Bapitsm Date/Place
Oct Qtr 1889 Long Itchington 25 Dec 1889 Long Itchington
   
Parents Names Parents Abode
Tom and Eliza Smith Nightingale Lane, Long Itchington
   
Schools Colleges
  ~
   
Address History Employment History                       
1891 - Village Street, Long Itchington 1901 - Scholar
1901 - Long Itchington 1911 - Cement Weigher at Limestone works
1911 - Brook Terrace - Long Itchington  
   
  • Tom also had a brother called Thomas James and some family tree's have the details of both of them mixed together.
  • The Warwickshire Roll of Honour Book wrongly gives Tom's name as Thomas James which is not correct, as can be
    seen in his baptism and CWGC information