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Rifleman Frank Percy Charles Smith
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TitleRifleman Frank Percy Charles SmithSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionFrank was born 14 November 1881, eldest son Charles and Adelaide Jane Smith, Christchurch. He was educated at the Carlton school, Bennetts, and was a prominent figure in sporting circles, his prowess as a cricketer and miniature rifle shot having earned him particular distinction. Prior to enlisting, he worked in Prebbleton as a butcher for J. Hartnell. He was 5ft 8¾in tall with a ruddy complexion, blue eyes and greying black hair.
Frank enlisted 3 October 1916 and was assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Reinforcements G Company. His obituary notes that early in his military career his marksmanship was recognised by his superiors and he was selected as a sniper in the Rifle Battalion. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 16 January 1917 and left for England from Wellington on 12 February on board the Mokoia. He arrived in Plymouth and proceeded to Sling camp on 2nd May where as usual he reverted to the ranks. He left for the front in France on 6th June and arrived in camp at Etaples on 8th June. After a few weeks of training he marched out to the Division at Etaples on 25 June, joined 1st Battalion, 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade and was posted to A company in the field the next day. The Regimental history notes that in August and September the 1st and 3rd Battalions went by bus to the 25th Divisional Area near Ypres, for cable-burying under the Director of Signals, 1st Anzac Corps. These battalions went into camp, the 1st at Chateau Segard, and the 3rd at Swan Chateau, and were employed laying cables between Hooge and Ypres. He was wounded in action on 10 September and admitted to the No.72 Field Ambulance with shell wounds to his head. He died of his wounds on 11th September, aged 35. He was buried in the Bedford House Cemetery, Ypres. The esteem in which he was held at Prebbleton was shown by a memorial service being held on 30 September at the local church. In New Zealand, Frank is remembered on the Prebbleton War Memorial.
Bedford House Cemetery is located 2.5 Km south of Leper town centre. Zillebeke village and most of the commune were in the hands of Commonwealth forces for the greater part of the First World War, but the number of cemeteries in the neighbourhood bears witness to the fierce fighting in the vicinity from 1914 to 1918. Bedford House, sometimes known as Woodcote House, were the names given by the Army to the Chateau Rosendal, a country house in a small wooded park with moats. Although it never fell into German hands, the house and the trees were gradually destroyed by shell fire. It was used by field ambulances and as the headquarters of brigades and other fighting units, and charcoal pits were dug there from October 1917. In time, the property became largely covered by small cemeteries; five enclosures existed at the date of the Armistice, but the graves from No.1 were then removed to White House Cemetery, St. Jean, and those from No.5 to Aeroplane Cemetery, Ypres. Enclosure No.2 was begun in December 1915, and used until October 1918. After the Armistice, 437 graves were added, all but four of which came from the Ecole de Bienfaisance and Asylum British Cemeteries, both at Ypres. Enclosure No.3, the smallest, was used from February 1915 to December 1916; the burials made in August-October 1915 were largely carried out by the 17th Division. ENCLOSURE No.4, the largest, was used from June 1916 to February 1918, largely by the 47th (London) Division, and after the Armistice it was enlarged when 3,324 graves were brought in from other burial grounds and from the battlefields of the Ypres Salient. Almost two-thirds of the graves are unidentified. Enclosure No.6 was made in the 1930s from the graves that were continuing to be found on the battlefield of the Ypres Salient. This enclosure also contains Second World War burials, all of them soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force, who died in the defence of the Ypres-Comines canal and railway at the end of May 1940. The canal lies on high ground on the west side of the cemetery. The following were burial grounds from which British graves were concentrated to Bedford House:- Asylum British Cemetery, Ypres, was established in the grounds of a mental hospital (the Hospice du Sacre Coeur) a little West of the railway station, between the Poperinghe road and the railway. It was used by Field Ambulances and fighting units from February, 1915, to November, 1917, and it contained the graves of 265 soldiers from the United Kingdom, nine from Canada, seven from Australia and two of the British West Indies Regiment. Boesinghe French Cemetery No.2, a little South of Bard Cottage, contained the grave of one soldier from the United Kingdom. Droogenbroodhoek Germany Cemetery, Moorslede, contained the graves of two United Kingdom soldiers who fell in October, 1914. Ecole De Bienfaisance Cemetery, Ypres, was on the north side of the Poperinghe road, immediately west of the railway, in the grounds of a school (later rebuilt). It was used by Field Ambulances in 1915-1917, and it contained the graves of 133 soldiers from the United Kingdom, three from Canada, three from Australia and one of the British West Indies Regiment. Kerkhove Churchyard contained the graves of five United Kingdom soldiers, who fell in October and November, 1918, and seven German. Poelcapella German Cemetery No. 4, between Langemarck and the Poelcapelle-St. Julien road, contained the graves of 52 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1914 and 1916. Zonnebeke British Cemeteries No.1 and No.3 were on the South and North sides respectively of the Broodseinde-Zonnebeke road. Zonnebeke was occupied by the Germans on the 22nd October, 1914, retaken by the French on the following day, and evacuated at the beginning of May, 1915; retaken by British troops on the 26th September, 1917; evacuated again in April, 1918; and retaken by Belgian troops on the 28th September, 1918. Four British Cemeteries were made by the Germans on the Broodseinde-Zonnebeke road; No.1 contained the graves of 31 United Kingdom soldiers (mainly 2nd East Surrey) who fell in April, 1915, and No.3 those of 69 who fell in April, and May, 1915. In all, 5,139 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War are buried or commemorated in the enclosures of Bedford House Cemetery. 3,011 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials name casualties buried in other cemeteries whose graves could not be found on concentration. Second World War burials number 69 (3 of which are unidentified). There are 2 Germans buried here. The cemetery was designed by W.C. Von Berg.First NameFrank Percy CharlesLast NameSmithFamilySingleSon of Charles and Adelaide Jane Smith, 346 Hereford Street, Christchurch,Date of Birth14 November 1881Place of BirthChristchurchDate of Death11 September 1917Place of DeathYpres, BelgiumCause of DeathDied of head woundsAge at Death35
Frank enlisted 3 October 1916 and was assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Reinforcements G Company. His obituary notes that early in his military career his marksmanship was recognised by his superiors and he was selected as a sniper in the Rifle Battalion. He was promoted to Lance Corporal on 16 January 1917 and left for England from Wellington on 12 February on board the Mokoia. He arrived in Plymouth and proceeded to Sling camp on 2nd May where as usual he reverted to the ranks. He left for the front in France on 6th June and arrived in camp at Etaples on 8th June. After a few weeks of training he marched out to the Division at Etaples on 25 June, joined 1st Battalion, 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade and was posted to A company in the field the next day. The Regimental history notes that in August and September the 1st and 3rd Battalions went by bus to the 25th Divisional Area near Ypres, for cable-burying under the Director of Signals, 1st Anzac Corps. These battalions went into camp, the 1st at Chateau Segard, and the 3rd at Swan Chateau, and were employed laying cables between Hooge and Ypres. He was wounded in action on 10 September and admitted to the No.72 Field Ambulance with shell wounds to his head. He died of his wounds on 11th September, aged 35. He was buried in the Bedford House Cemetery, Ypres. The esteem in which he was held at Prebbleton was shown by a memorial service being held on 30 September at the local church. In New Zealand, Frank is remembered on the Prebbleton War Memorial.
Bedford House Cemetery is located 2.5 Km south of Leper town centre. Zillebeke village and most of the commune were in the hands of Commonwealth forces for the greater part of the First World War, but the number of cemeteries in the neighbourhood bears witness to the fierce fighting in the vicinity from 1914 to 1918. Bedford House, sometimes known as Woodcote House, were the names given by the Army to the Chateau Rosendal, a country house in a small wooded park with moats. Although it never fell into German hands, the house and the trees were gradually destroyed by shell fire. It was used by field ambulances and as the headquarters of brigades and other fighting units, and charcoal pits were dug there from October 1917. In time, the property became largely covered by small cemeteries; five enclosures existed at the date of the Armistice, but the graves from No.1 were then removed to White House Cemetery, St. Jean, and those from No.5 to Aeroplane Cemetery, Ypres. Enclosure No.2 was begun in December 1915, and used until October 1918. After the Armistice, 437 graves were added, all but four of which came from the Ecole de Bienfaisance and Asylum British Cemeteries, both at Ypres. Enclosure No.3, the smallest, was used from February 1915 to December 1916; the burials made in August-October 1915 were largely carried out by the 17th Division. ENCLOSURE No.4, the largest, was used from June 1916 to February 1918, largely by the 47th (London) Division, and after the Armistice it was enlarged when 3,324 graves were brought in from other burial grounds and from the battlefields of the Ypres Salient. Almost two-thirds of the graves are unidentified. Enclosure No.6 was made in the 1930s from the graves that were continuing to be found on the battlefield of the Ypres Salient. This enclosure also contains Second World War burials, all of them soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force, who died in the defence of the Ypres-Comines canal and railway at the end of May 1940. The canal lies on high ground on the west side of the cemetery. The following were burial grounds from which British graves were concentrated to Bedford House:- Asylum British Cemetery, Ypres, was established in the grounds of a mental hospital (the Hospice du Sacre Coeur) a little West of the railway station, between the Poperinghe road and the railway. It was used by Field Ambulances and fighting units from February, 1915, to November, 1917, and it contained the graves of 265 soldiers from the United Kingdom, nine from Canada, seven from Australia and two of the British West Indies Regiment. Boesinghe French Cemetery No.2, a little South of Bard Cottage, contained the grave of one soldier from the United Kingdom. Droogenbroodhoek Germany Cemetery, Moorslede, contained the graves of two United Kingdom soldiers who fell in October, 1914. Ecole De Bienfaisance Cemetery, Ypres, was on the north side of the Poperinghe road, immediately west of the railway, in the grounds of a school (later rebuilt). It was used by Field Ambulances in 1915-1917, and it contained the graves of 133 soldiers from the United Kingdom, three from Canada, three from Australia and one of the British West Indies Regiment. Kerkhove Churchyard contained the graves of five United Kingdom soldiers, who fell in October and November, 1918, and seven German. Poelcapella German Cemetery No. 4, between Langemarck and the Poelcapelle-St. Julien road, contained the graves of 52 soldiers from the United Kingdom who fell in 1914 and 1916. Zonnebeke British Cemeteries No.1 and No.3 were on the South and North sides respectively of the Broodseinde-Zonnebeke road. Zonnebeke was occupied by the Germans on the 22nd October, 1914, retaken by the French on the following day, and evacuated at the beginning of May, 1915; retaken by British troops on the 26th September, 1917; evacuated again in April, 1918; and retaken by Belgian troops on the 28th September, 1918. Four British Cemeteries were made by the Germans on the Broodseinde-Zonnebeke road; No.1 contained the graves of 31 United Kingdom soldiers (mainly 2nd East Surrey) who fell in April, 1915, and No.3 those of 69 who fell in April, and May, 1915. In all, 5,139 Commonwealth servicemen of the First World War are buried or commemorated in the enclosures of Bedford House Cemetery. 3,011 of the burials are unidentified but special memorials commemorate a number of casualties known or believed to be buried among them. Other special memorials name casualties buried in other cemeteries whose graves could not be found on concentration. Second World War burials number 69 (3 of which are unidentified). There are 2 Germans buried here. The cemetery was designed by W.C. Von Berg.First NameFrank Percy CharlesLast NameSmithFamilySingleSon of Charles and Adelaide Jane Smith, 346 Hereford Street, Christchurch,Date of Birth14 November 1881Place of BirthChristchurchDate of Death11 September 1917Place of DeathYpres, BelgiumCause of DeathDied of head woundsAge at Death35
Connections
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryEnclosure No.4 II D. 12., Bedford House Cemetery, Ypres, BelgiumPrebbleton War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingButcherRegiment or ServiceNew Zealand Rifle BrigadeEnlistment Details3rd October 1916Service Number39109Rank Last HeldRiflemanEmbarkation12th February 1917Place of EmbarkationWellingtonTransportMokoia Theatre of WarFranceBelgiumNominal Roll55/28CountryNew Zealand
Rifleman Frank Percy Charles Smith. Selwyn Stories, accessed 13/12/2025, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/453
