The AIF Project

Horace SMITH

Regimental number4526
Place of birthMitchell Road, Alexandria, New South Wales
True NameAlbert John Horace
SchoolAlexandria Public School, New South Wales
ReligionChurch of England
OccupationEngine driver
Address281 Henderson Road, Alexandria, New South Wales
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation21
Height5' 6.5"
Weight126 lbs
Next of kinFather, J B Smith, 281 Henderson Road, Alexandria, New South Wales
Previous military serviceServed in the Citizen Military Forces.
Enlistment date30 August 1915
Place of enlistmentHolsworthy, New South Wales
Rank on enlistmentPrivate
Unit name1st Battalion, 14th Reinforcement
AWM Embarkation Roll number23/18/4
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Sydney, New South Wales, on board RMS Osterley on 15 January 1916
Regimental number from Nominal Roll4526A
Rank from Nominal RollPrivate
Unit from Nominal Roll54th Battalion
FateKilled in Action 19 July 1916
Place of death or woundingFleurbaix, France (Battle of Fromelles)
Age at death22
Age at death from cemetery records22
Place of burialRation Farm Military Cemetery (Plot VI, Row H, Grave No. 18), Armentieres, France
Panel number, Roll of Honour,
  Australian War Memorial
160
Miscellaneous information from
  cemetery records
STATED TO BE ALBERT JOHN HORACE SMITH. Parents: James adn Maria SMITH, 22 Jennings Street, Alexandria, Sydney, New South Wales
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Found guilty, aboard RMS 'Osterley', 2 February 1916, of breaking leave: forfeited 5/- pay.

Discharged to duty from Suez Government Hospital, 21 February 1916.

Allotted to and proceeded to 45th Bn from 1st Training Bn, 6 March 1916; joined 45th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 6 March 1916.

Joined 54th Bn, Tel el Kebir, 16 March 1916.

Embarked Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force, 19 June 1916; disembarked Marseilles, France, 29 June 1916.

Killed in action, 19/20 July 1916.

Handwritten note on B.103, 'Buried B1056 Sheet 24'.

Statement, Red Cross File No 2530708, 3576 Pte J.D. MILNE, 53rd Bn (sic; actually 54th Bn) (patient, 3rd Australian Auxiliary Hospital, Dartford, England; repatriated prisoner of war),10 January 1919: 'At Fleurbaix in July 1916, whole 5th Division was engaged, our Battn. in centre. The 14th Bde. (54th, 55th & 56th Battns.) were surrounded in Huns (sic) 2nd line. In heavy fighting many prisoners. I saw Smith in German 2nd Line with very bad wound in leg. He was then trying to make back to their first line. A great deal of bombing was going on. We were out of ammunition except for German bombs. From where Smith was and his crippled state, I should say he died. The Huns re-occupied the ground and heldit for some time.'
SourcesNAA: B2455, SMITH Horace
Red Cross file 2530708

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