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Kā Kōrero o Waikirikiri Selwyn Stories

Rifleman Robert Smith

Description

TitleRifleman Robert SmithSummaryA soldier in World War One.DescriptionRobert was born at Aylesbury on 13th December 1883, son of Young and Mary Jane Smith. Before enlisting he was farming at Aylesbury. He was 6ft 3in tall with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. Like many the army found his teeth defective so he was to receive treatment in Christchurch before going to camp. He noted that he was single but that he had two people dependant on him, his mother and sister.

He enlisted at Darfield on 6th October 1916 but his service was reckoned from 4th January 1917. He was assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Reinforcements, G Company. He embarked from Wellington on board the Ruapehu on 14th March 1917 and arrived in Devonport and Sling camp on 21st May. He left for France a month later on 21 June and reached Etaples on two days later. There, he was attached to the Division on 8th July, joining the 4th Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade and was attached to A company in the field on 11th July. He was wounded in action, suffering multiple gunshot wounds to legs and an arm on 12th October 1917 during the disastrous attack at Passchendaele. He was admitted to 2nd Canadian Stationary Hospital at Outreau on the 15th October. Despite care and nursing he died of his wounds almost five months later on 27th March 1918, aged 34. He was buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, France. In New Zealand Robert is remembered on the Malvern County War Memorial.

Boulogne-sur-Mer is a large Channel port. Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, one of the town cemeteries, the cemetery is a large civil cemetery, split in two by the Rue de Dringhem. The Commonwealth War Graves plot is located down the western edge of the southern section of the cemetery. Boulogne, was one of the three base ports most extensively used by the Commonwealth armies on the Western Front throughout the First World War. It was closed and cleared on the 27 August 1914 when the Allies were forced to fall back ahead of the German advance, but was opened again in October and from that month to the end of the war, Boulogne and Wimereux formed one of the chief hospital areas. Until June 1918, the dead from the hospitals at Boulogne itself were buried in the Cimetiere de L'Est, one of the town cemeteries, the Commonwealth graves forming a long, narrow strip along the right hand edge of the cemetery. Boulogne Eastern Cemetery contains 5,577 Commonwealth burials of the First World War and 224 from the Second World War. The Commonwealth plots were designed by Charles Holden.First NameRobertLast NameSmithFamilySingleSon of Young and Mary Jane SmithDate of Birth13 December 1884Place of BirthAylesburyDate of Death27 March 1918Place of DeathFranceCause of DeathDied of woundsAge at Death34

Connections

CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageMalvern War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph

Military Service

Memorial or CemeteryBoulogne Eastern CemeteryMalvern County War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingFarmingRegiment or ServiceNew Zealand Rifle BrigadeEnlistment Details6th October 1916 at DarfieldService Number44165Embarkation14th March 1917Place of EmbarkationWellingtonTransportRuapehuCountryNew Zealand

Attribution

Researched ByL. M. SeatonTaken FromPhoto taken from Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph. Please refer to this site for the photo’s copyright license

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Rifleman Robert Smith