Stockwell War Memorial

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Stockwell War Memorial

Sydney G. Smith

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S. G. Smith
Service no. 470355
Company Serjeant Major, London Regiment (The Rangers), 12th Battalion
Killed in action on 26 September 1917, aged 37
CWGC: “Son of George and Frances Smith, of Stockwell; husband of Mabel Annie Smith, of 54, Mordaunt Street, Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Tyne Cot Cemetery, Belgium and St Andrew’s Church, Landor Road, London SW9

British Army WWI Pension Records, 1914-1920

There are only 3 pages on Smith in the archive. They cover his 5-year period of service with the Territorials, from 26 May 1909 to 25 May 1914, when he left the London Regiment (The Rangers) as Lance Corporal.
The records state that

  • Smith was 29 and 5 months when he joined
  • He was married and living at 13 Effort Road, Highbury
  • He was a clerk with “Ellis & Co”
  • He was 5 feet 10 inches tall, with a chest of 34½ inches, which he could expand by 2 inches

Alfred Frank Smith

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A.F. Smith
Sapper, Royal Engineers, 19th Light Railway Train Crew Coy.
Service no. 266259
Killed in action on 14 June 1917, aged 21
Remembered at St Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery, Hainaut, Belgium

Chris Burge writes:

Alfred Frank Smith was born in Lambeth on 5 January 1896 and baptised at All Saints Church in Devonshire Road (the area was redeveloped as the Lansdowne Green Estate). He was the second child of Frank and Kate Caroline Smith (née Farley), both of them originally from Andover in Hampshire. The Smiths were living at 8 Riverhall Street in South Lambeth at that time. Frank worked as a ‘horse keeper’ for the London & South Western Railway. By the time of the 1901 census, Alfred was the second of four children with an older sister and two younger brothers. The family were living in the four rooms of the property at 20 Fountain Street, near Wandsworth Road, along with Kate’s brother George Farley, another L&SWR horse keeper. 

By the time of the 1911 census Alfred was the second eldest of nine. His parents had been married 17 years, and all of their children were born in Lambeth. The family of 11 were now living in the four rooms of the property at 25 Bolney Street, off Dorset Road. Alfredt’s father still worked as a horse keeper for the L&SWR, Albert’s sister Elsie worked as domestic servant and Alfred worked as van guard for the L&SWR. 

There are no surviving records to date Alfred’s conscription into the Army. It could have been at any time between June 1916 and February 1917 when the Light Railway companies were formed at Longmoor Camp at Bordon in Hampshire. On the Western Front, the use of light railways to carry goods, men and ammunition as close to the front line as possible started in 1917. Experienced railwaymen were recruited for the ‘Railway Operation Division, Royal Engineers’. For example, sapper 218699 Edward Victor Harrington from Essex was a clerk on the Great Eastern Railway who was originally rated B1 when medically examined in September 1916. Harrington was not called up until 2 January 1917, when he joined at Longmoor. Men like Harrington and Alfred Smith did not receive infantry training and were sent to France within weeks of joining. Harrington was qualified as a shunter and, like Albert, served in the 19th Light Railway Train Crew Company, until he was killed in action on 28 March 1918 while attached to the Canadian Light Railway section. 

Alfred Frank Smith was killed in action in unknown circumstances on 14 June 1917. The only document that may contain further information is a summary diary of the ‘19th Light Railway Train Crew 16 Feb 1917 to 01 Sep 1917 Coy’ held at the Royal Engineers Museum library at Chatham, Kent.

Edwin Charles Smart

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E. C. Smart
Service no. 263068
Rifleman, Monmouthshire Regiment, 1st Battalion
Born in Walworth; enlisted in Battersea
Killed in action on 3 September 1917, aged 35
CWGC: “Husband of Elizabeth Ann Smart, of 12, Thorparch Rd. Lambeth, London.”
Remembered at Loos Memorial, France

British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920

On 7 November 1917 Elizabeth Ann Smart, widow of Edwin Charles Smart, wrote to the War Office: “Will you please let me have my marriage and other certificates which I have forwarded to you on 20th of Sept,” she said. “…I am sorry to trouble you only I have a [illegible] means a [illegible] £5 to me and of which I would be glad, being left with four young children.” Although some of the letter has been so damaged that it I am not able to read it, it is clear that Elizabeth is struggling to manage on the money she has coming in. Clearly the possession of these certificates, perhaps to show the relevant authorities at the local pension board, would make a difference.

Smart was killed in action on 3 September 1917, leaving Elizabeth with the children. These included her son by a previous relationship Emlyn Thomas Campbell, 13, and three she had with Edwin: Eliza Louise, 6, Alice Maisie, not yet 5, and Edwin Alexander, 3, all born before they married at Lambeth Register Office on 5 December 1914.

Smart enlisted on 11 December 1915 when he was 34 and 7 months. He was described as 5 feet 8 inches and 10 stone. His chest measured 36 inches (which he could increase to 39). His physical development was “good.”

Charles Edward Small

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C. E. Small
Service no. 960469
Driver, Royal Field Artillery, “A” Bty. 302nd Bde.
Enlisted in Fulham; lived in Stockwell
Killed in action on 31 October 1917, aged 21
CWGC: “Son of Charles Edward and Laura Louisa Small, of 61 Mordaunt Street, Stockwell, London.”
Remembered at Jerusalem Memorial and St Andrew’s Church, Landor Road, London SW9

British Army WWI Service Records 1914-1920

Charles Edward Small presented himself at the Fulham recruiting office early in the war – on 16 September 1914. We do not know what kind of occupation he left behind, as this was not recorded in the service records. However, it was a settled kind of life.

His family had lived in the same house for at least 13 years, and although his father had died, his mother, Laura, earned a living through dress-making. They were doing well enough to order headed paper, on which Laura wrote on 24 April 1918 to the War Office enquiring about the “watch and silver mizpah ring” which should have been among her son’s effects. “Will you kindly make enquiries for me,” she wrote, “as I should value them much.” The mizpah ring, popular during the 19th and early 20th centuries, was given and worn when close relatives or lovers were about to be separated, often by catastrophic events such as war.

Small was 19 and a good 5 feet 7half inches tall when he enlisted. His vision and physical development was noted as “very good.”

Information from the censuses

Lambeth-born Charles Edward Small, 14 in 1911, lived with his widowed mother, Laura Louisa Small, 46, a dressmaker from Eastman, Southampton, and his siblings, Winifred Small, 21, a business clerk; Kathleen Small, 18, a student teacher; and Leslie Allan Small, 9, in 4 rooms at 61 Mordaunt Street.  The family at been at this address since at least 1901 Charles’s father, also called Charles, was on the 1901 census described as a 37-year-old coach painter, born in Reigate, The girls were born in Reigate, but Charles (junior) and Leslie was born in Stockwell.