SMITH, Albert David
(Service number 14716)
| First Rank | Second Lieutenant | Last Rank | Lieutenant |
|---|
Birth
| Date | Unknown | Place of Birth |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | |||
| Occupation | Chemist | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | |||
| Next of Kin | Robert T Smith, 180 High St Waimate | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | NZ Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 5th Reinforcements, 4th Battalion, H Company | ||
| Date | 26 June 1916 | ||
| Transport | HMNZT 56, 57, Mauganui or Tahiti | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | Devonport, England |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | NZ Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion, 3rd | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal, Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 12 October 1917 | Age | 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Ypres, Belgium | ||
| Cause | Killed in action | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Tyne Cot Memorial, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, West-Vlaanderen | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | On Memorial wall, Timaru; Waimate First World War Memorial (appears to be A D Smith, but difficult to read) On parents gravestone, Old Waimate Cemetery Plot 000757X | ||
Biographical Notes
Albert was the son of Robert Young Smith and Mary Ann Smith of 180 High Street, Waimate. Albert was the eldest of nine children. Before enlisting Albert was in a chemist apprenticeship at the pharmacy of Mr F. Akhurst. He was a very talented young man who was a keen member of the Cadets while at school. This led him, at a young age, to become an officer in the Territorials. Albert also enjoyed music, being a member of both the Methodist Choir and the Waimate Orpheus Society.
Albert joined the New Zealand Rifle Brigade and left from Wellington, bound for England, on 26th June 1916. A little over a year later he was killed in action on 12th October 1917, at the age of 23 years, while serving with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 1st Battalion, 3rd Division, in Ypres, Belgium. Albert is remembered on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Tyne Cot Cemetery, Zonnebeke, West-Viaandern, Belgium.
The Waimate Museum and Archives hold photographs of Albert Smith and his family, artwork by Albert, his sword and scabbard, a Memorial Plaque, a NZEF Certificate of Service, and his British War Medal.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph Database (8 May 2014); Waimate Advertiser, Thursday 1st November 1917; Oamaru Mail, 12 October 1918
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Liz Shea (SC branch NZSG); Sue Hanham, Wamate Museum & Archives
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
Tell us more
Do you have information that could be added to this story? Or related images that you are happy to share? Submit them here!