Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Frank Sylvester Smith was born on 3 December 1891 at Timaru, the younger son of Thomas James and Harriett Ann (née Roberts) Smith. He was educated at Waimataitai School, Timaru. In 1903 Frank, his older sister Ethel and older brother Jim all received prizes at the Waimataitai Sunday School. Frank S. Smith was one of the South Canterbury recruits for the eleventh reinforcements (Mounted Rifles), who left Timaru for Trentham on 15 December 1915. He enlisted on 16 December 1915 at Trentham, naming his father as next-of-kin – T. J. Smith, Smithfield, Timaru. He was farming, single, and Methodist.

Trooper F. S. Smith embarked for Suez, Egypt, on 6 May 1916, with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade. A draft arrived in Wellington on 23 December 1917 – “Home for ‘Xmas”. “The men arrived in good fettle, mny of them having been immensely benefited by the sea trip.” One of the men in that draft was 12649 F. S. Smith, Smithfield. “Trooper F. S. Smith, son of Mr and Mrs T. J. Smith of Smithfield, arrived home on Christinas Day invalided from the front. Private Smith left with this 12th Reinforcements, took part in the decisive batlde for Gaza, and was in almost every engagement on the Egyptian front, and in numberless skirmishes. He was slightly wounded twice, and returned to the troop, but eventually was invalided.” [Timaru Herald, 29 December 1917.]

Frank married Grace Etta Hammond in 1921. He died on 11 June 1958 at his Fairview residence, aged 66 years. Grace died twenty years later and was buried at Timatu Cemetery with Frank. They were survived by two daughters and a son. Frank’s older brother, James Garner Smith (Jim), who was a carpenter and joiner, was drawn in the ballot in January 1918. He asked for an extension of time, when he appeared before the Military Appeal Board in February 1918 and was granted till 25 June.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [01 August 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [01 August 2022]; School Admission record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [01 August 2022]; Timaru Herald, 15 December 1903, 9 December 1915, 29 December 1917, Dominion, 24 December 1917, 16 Jamuary 1918, 27 February 1918, 1 March 1918, Press, 10 August 1978 (Papers Past) [10 July 2022; 01 August 2022]; Timaru Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [01 August 2022]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.