| Description | Work completed by volunteer includes the following information:
Private Tom Smith aged 22 was killed in action in France on 1 Aug 1918, he was involved in the Second Battle of the Marne in an area to the north east of Paris. He is buried at the Raperie Military Cemetery, France and is remembered on the Hengate Memorial, Beverley. He was awarded the War and Victory Medals.
Tom enlisted in Beverley on 21 Oct 1914 and joined the 2nd/5th Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment as a Private, a home service (or second line) unit that was largely based in the North East. The unit was broken up in Jul 1916 and men transferred to other regiments. Tom joined the 2nd/4th Battalion of the Royal Scottish Fusiliers and saw service in Ireland. Tom's army records state that he moved to this regiment because "he wanted to serve under an officer with whom he has previously served". In Feb 1918 he was transferred to the 1st/9th Battalion of the Royal Scots and sent to France, it was there that he was killed.
Tom was born the 5 Apr 1896 in Woodmansey and baptised at Beverley Minster the 30 May 1896, the son of Tom and Elizabeth Smith. Tom was a market gardener. In 1911 Tom was working as a page boy, his army papers describe him as a valet. He worked at Longcroft Hall for John Anthony Hudson JP and his son John Harold Hudson. The family moved to Queensgate, Beverley when Tom became caretaker at the newly-built Beverley Grammar School. Tom died in a road traffic accident outside the school in Oct 1912, his mother, Elizabeth took over the role as caretaker. Tom had three sisters and seven brothers. The family later moved to 145 Keldgate. Tom was unmarried.
Includes photograph, information taken from census, military records, Commonwealth War Graves, newspapers |