Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Robert Richard Smith was born on 9 November 1887 at Wyndham, Southland, the younger son of John and Alice (formerly Wilson née Cumberbeach) Smith. His education was at the Wyndham Public School. Robert R. Smith, St Andrews, was one of the South Canterbury recruits for the eleventh reinforcements (Infantry), who left Timaru for Trentham on 15 December 1915. Enlisting on 16 December 1915 at Trentham, he gave his address as care of Bankfield, St Andrews (Waimate). A farm labourer, single, and of Churchof England affiliation, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs John Smith, Menzies ferry, Wyndham, Southland.

Trooper R. R. Smith embarked with the Signallers of the Canterbury Mounted Rifless, departing from Wellington for Suez, Egypt, on 1 April 1916. Two big casualty lists (over 690 casualties) were issued on 16 October 1916. The early list recorded that R/ R. Smith, 7/2425, Canterbury Mounted Rifles, had been wounded on 28 September.

“PRIVATE ROBERT RICHARD SMITH.

Private R. R. Smith, who was wounded in the hand on July 26th, is the son of Mrs Jno. Smith, of Menzies Ferry. He was 30 years of age when he enlisted in the 11th Reinforcements of the Auckland Infantry. He was employed as a farm labourer at Timaru before he enlisted. He was educated at the Wyndham public school, and when a mere lad took a keen interest in rifle shooting. He was previously wounded in September last.” [Southland Times. 28 August 1917.]

“WAR HONOURS

AWARDS TO NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS

BRAVERY IN ACTION

The Defence authorities have received advice that awards as specified have been conferred on the undermentioned Now Zealand soldiers: — . . . . . , 7/2425 Pte. Robert Richard Smitn, M.M.; next-of-kin, Mrs. John Smith (mother), Menzies Ferry, Wyndham.” [Dominion. 26 September 1917.] Robert Richard Smith was awarded the Military Medal for acts of gallantry in the field, in the fighting at La Basseville near Ypres, on 7 August 1917.

Robert Smith – 30 years old; soldier; Codford Camp, Wiltshire; son of John Smith, farmer – married 24-year-old Annie Lily Baldwin on 30 December 1917 at All Hallows, Harlesden, Brent, England. Thereafter, Mrs A. L. Smith, London, became his next-of-kin. A hospital and progress report published here on 25 January 1918 noted that R. R. Smith was not a severe case.

7/2425 R. R. Smith (M.M.) returned to New Zealand by Draft No. 201, which was due at Wellington in mid December 1918. His wife came on the troop ship with him. He was discharged on 18 January 1919. By 1922 Robert and Annie had settled at Manaia where Robet’s brother John was living. Alice Smith had died in 1924, and John Smith, senior, died in November 1930, both buried at Wyndham. By his Will, dated 1927, John Smith bequeathed his estate equally between Mary Lawrence, Jane Franklin, John E. V. Smith and Robert R. Smith. With the consent of her siblings, administration was granted to Mary Ann Glendinning Lawrence, of Mataura Island near Wyndham, the daughter of John and Alice. At the time his son John Edward Valentine Smith was a horse trainer at Hawera and his second son, Robert Richard Smith, a returned soldier, was an inmate of the Hawera Public Hospital. Jane Franklin, of Manaia, was a step-daughter, “being the daughter of his wife by a prior marriage.”

Robert Richard Smith died on 20 October 1931 at Hawera, aged 43 years. His death was caused by phthisis, exhaustion and cardiac issues. His funeral left his brother’s Hawera residence for the Manaia Cemetery, where a services stone marks his grave. “A victim of illness caused on active service during the Great War, Mr Robert Richard Smith died yesterday at the age of 42 years. He returned from abroad at the termination of the War, where he had gained the military medal, and lived with his brother on the Waihi Road, Hawera. For some considerable time he had been a patient at the Hawera Hospital. He was born at Wyndham, Southland. The funeral will take place from the Waihi Road, to-morrow (Wednesday), at 1 p.m., for the Manaia Cemetery. Members of the Returned Soldiers’ Association are asked to attend.” [Hawera Star. 20 October 1931.] Annie moved to Waipawa shortly after and died at Waipukurau District Hoospita, from Waipawa, in 1954. There wre no children of the marriage.

An intriguing note in Robert’s military file is that his medals – British War Medal, Victory Medal and Military Medal - were delivered to Vernon John Smith, “adopted son of deceased”. Vernon John Smith would appear to be the son of Alfred John and Catherine (née Brown) Smith, who also lived in the Hawera area. When Annie died in 1954, she had no relatives in the country. A friend advised the Public Trust that “she left her surviving as next of kin one legally adopted son Vernon John Smith who is adult.”The Public Trust had been requested in writing by the said Vernon John Smith to administer the estate of Annie Lily Smith. Robert’s older brother, John Edward Valentine Smith, also served in World War One. A nephew, Keith Roger Lawrence, lost his life in New Caledonia in World War Two.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [01 August 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [01 August 2022]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [04 August 2022]; Timaru Herald, 9 December 1915, 15 August 1917, Southland Times, 28 August 1917, Dominion, 17 October 1916, 26 September 1917, 25 January 1918, 11 December 1918, Hawera Star, 20 October 1931 [x 2] (Papers Past) [01, 04 & 05 August 2022]; Manaia Cemetery burial record (South Taranaki District Council) [03 August 2022]; Manaia Cemetery headstone image (Find A Grave) [03 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.