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A R T H U R S M I T H

R O Y A L G A R R I S O N A R T I L L E R Y

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B O R N I N 1 8 8 7 A T S U T T O N - I N - C R A V E N , T H E S O N O F

J O H N A N D S A R A H S M I T H A N D W I D O W E R O F M A R Y

S M I T H ( N E E C L O U G H )

Smith Family History

• 1891 census shows John, his wife Sarah, their 3 children and mother-in-

law living at Albert Street, Sutton-in-Craven as follows:

Name Age Work Birth place Birth year

John William (Head) 28 Woolsorter Sutton-in-Craven 1863

Sarah Ann (wife) 28 Worsted Weaver Sutton-in-Craven 1863

Ellison 7 Scholar Sutton-in-Craven 1884 - 1894

Arthur 4 Scholar Sutton-in-Craven 1887 - 1919

Clara Baby Sutton-in-Craven 1891

Mary Ellison (Widowed mother-in-law) 61 Sutton-in-Craven 1830

• 1901 census shows John, his wife Sarah, their 2 children and mother-in-law still living at 6, Albert Street, Sutton-in-Craven as follows:

Name Age Work Birth place Birth year

John William (Head) 38 Woolsorter Sutton-in-Craven 1863

Sarah Ann (wife) 38 Weaver woollen Sutton-in-Craven 1863

Arthur 14 Worsted spinner Sutton-in-Craven 1887 - 1919

Clara 10 Sutton-in-Craven 1891

Mary Ellison (Widowed mother-in-law) 70 Sutton-in-Craven 1830

• 1911 census shows that John and Sarah had been married for 27 years and that of their 4 children born alive, 3 were still living and 1 (Ellison Smith) had since died. It also shows the Smith family now residing at 7, Victoria Street, Sutton-in-Craven as follows:

Name Age Work Birth place Birth year

John William (Head) 48 Woolsorter Sutton-in-Craven 1863

Sarah Ann (wife) 48 Weaver woollen Sutton-in-Craven 1863

Arthur 24 Green grocer Sutton-in-Craven 1887 - 1919

Clara 20 Piece mender Sutton-in-Craven 1891

Gladys 7 School Sutton-in-Craven 1904

Victoria Street, Sutton-in-Craven

(source: photo provided by Barbara & Allen Chapman)

During the Great War the Smith family had relocated from Victoria Street and were now living in Gordon Street, Sutton-in-Craven.

World War 1

It had been 99 years since Britain was last involved in a major European conflict following the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815

August 4th 1914

Britain declares war on Germany

In the autumn of 1914, the young men of the nation came from town and village to take the King's shilling and to offer him their dedicated services in defence of their homeland. From mills and mines, from shops and farms, from office chairs and civic departments, from loom, lathe, bench, plough and counter they flooded into the recruiting centres in answer to their nation's call for young manhood. These new recruits came to be known as ‘Kitchener’s Volunteers’

The New Armies: "Kitchener's

Volunteers"

Earl Kitchener recruitment poster 1914 Parliamentary Recruiting Committee London, 1915

British volunteers physical training, Manningham Park, 1914 (Kitchener’s new army)

(source: The Bradford Pals Ralph N. Hudson 2nd Ed, 1993)

Prior to enlistment, Arthur Smith was employed by Mr Arthur Dixon, greengrocer at Crosshills. In October 1914, Arthur married his fiancée Ann E Clough. Their new address was Ash Street, Crosshills. Less than 4 years later in April 1918, Ann died suddenly aged 31 years. During the Great War, Arthur Smith responded to the call and volunteered to enlist into the Royal Garrison Artillery with the 19th Siege Battery Unit. His regimental number was 122866 and he commenced with the rank of Gunner.

19th Siege Battery Unit, Royal Garrison Artillery, WW1

The Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA) was an arm of the Royal Artillery that was originally tasked with manning the guns of the British Empire's forts and fortresses, including coastal artillery batteries, the heavy gun batteries attached to each infantry division, and the guns of the siege artillery. From 1914 when the army possessed very little heavy artillery, the RGA grew into a very large component of the British forces on the battlefield, being armed with heavy, large-calibre guns and howitzers that were positioned some way behind the front line and had immense destructive power.

The role of the Siege Battery

The Siege Batteries RGA were equipped with the largest guns and with heavy howitzers, often mounted on railways or on fixed concrete emplacements.

They were capable of sending large calibre high explosive shells in high

trajectory, plunging fire. The usual armaments were 6 inch, 8 inch and 9.2

inch howitzers, although some had huge railway or road-mounted 12 inch

howitzers. As British artillery tactics developed, the Siege Batteries were

most often employed in destroying or neutralising the enemy artillery, as

well as putting destructive fire down on strong points, dumps, stores, roads

and railways behind enemy lines. The corps name was discontinued in 1924, when the RGA was re-amalgamated into the Royal Artillery. Gunner Arthur Smith entered the Theatre of War with the 19th Siege Battery of the Royal Garrison Artillery sometime after 1st January 1916.

MEDAL INDEX CARD for Arthur Smith (source: The National Archives)

A British heavy gun in action, WW1 (www.gwpda.org/photos)

A British howitzer “Lucky Jim”, WW1 (www.gwpda.org/photos)

Heavy British gun hauled by a tractor, WW1 (www.gwpda.org/photos)

Very little is known about Arthur Smith’s wartime service, except that he served on the Western Front in France sometime after 1st January 1916. He was also promoted in the field to Lance-Bombardier and again to full Bombardier. Less than a month away from the November Armistice however, Mr & Mrs Smith received a telegram stating that their son Arthur had been hospitalised in Shrewsbury suffering from a kidney infection.

Article Date: 18 October 1918

Serious Illness of a Sutton Mill Soldier

Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Smith, of Gordon Street, Sutton Mill, have received a telegram from the Royal Salop Hospital, Shrewsbury, stating that their only son, Pte. Arthur Smith, of the Royal Garrison Artillery, is a patient there and suffering from a very serious kidney affection. Mrs. Smith and her eldest daughter are now at the hospital and have sent a message home stating that Arthur is a little better but in a very serious condition.

(source: Craven’s Part in the Great War www.cpgw.org.uk)

Having spent several months in the War Hospital in Shrewsbury suffering from nephritis, Bombardier Arthur Smith passed away on the 13th February 1919. His body was brought home to Sutton-in-Craven and buried in the Baptist Chapel burial grounds on the 20th February 1919.

He was 32 years of age

Casualty Details

Name: SMITH, ARTHUR

Initials: A

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lance Bombardier

Regiment/Service: Royal Garrison Artillery

Unit Text: 19th Siege Bty.

Age: 32

Date of Death: 13/02/1919

Service No: 122866

Additional

information:

Son of John William and Sarah Ann Smith, of 8, Gordon

St., Sutton-in-Craven.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial

Reference: B. 231.

Cemetery: SUTTON-IN-CRAVEN BAPTIST BURIAL

GROUND

(source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission www.cwgc.org/)

Article Date: 28 February 1919

SUTTON-IN-CRAVEN - Bombardier A. Smith Dies in Hospital

The death took place on February 13th, under tragic circumstances, of Bombardier Arthur Smith of the R.G.A., whose parents reside in Gordon Street, Sutton Mill. At the time of his enlistments he lived with his wife in Ash Street, Crosshills, but she died rather suddenly in April of last year. After a long period of service in France, Bombardier Smith was admitted to the Shrewsbury War Hospital about five

months ago suffering from nephritis. He was 32 years of age, and prior to joining the Forces was employed by Mr. Arthur Dixon, greengrocer, of Crosshills. The remains were interred in the Baptist burial ground on the 20th. The Rev. F. W. Pollard officiating.

(source: Craven’s Part in the Great War www.cpgw.org.uk)

Bombardier Arthur Smith is remembered on the Sutton-in-Craven war memorial and on the tomb-stone bearing his name in the burial ground of Sutton-in-Craven Baptist Chapel.

Tomb-stone in the Baptist Chapel burial ground

(photo taken by Josie Walsh)

(source: South Craven, the official guide, 1950)

Sutton-in-Craven War Memorial (photo taken by Paul Wilkinson)

Bombardier Arthur Smith was posthumously awarded the British War Medal & Victory Medal

Original pair of WW1 medals (source: owned by Andrew Monkhouse)

A Memorial Plaque inscribed with the soldiers name was also given to the family of those who were killed during WW1

Original WW1 Memorial Plaque named to Arthur Smith Also referred to as a Death Plaque or Dead Man’s Penny

(source: owned by Andrew Monkhouse)

Lest we Forget

source: Craven’s Part in the Great War

(original 1919 copy owned by Andrew Monkhouse)

F O R T H E F A L L E N

T H E Y S H A L L N O T G R O W O L D , A S W E T H A T A R E

L E F T G R O W O L D

A G E S H A L L N O T W E A R Y T H E M , N O R T H E Y E A R S

C O N D E M N

A T T H E G O I N G D O W N O F T H E S U N A N D I N T H E

M O R N I N G

W E W I L L R E M E M B E R T H E M

L A U R E N C E B I N Y O N , 1 8 6 9 - 1 9 4 3

(Information compiled by Andrew Monkhouse 2011)