A Photograph of my Great Great Uncle Arthur August Smith, his wife and their child. || My Great Great Uncle Arthur August Smith, born 1885 in Chelmsford, Essex. I have very little information about Arthur, we believe he was in the Army Service Corps as he is wearing spurs in the photograph but is not in any kind of cavalry uniform. My Grandmother remembers being told by her mother that Arthur served in France and was gassed, he survived the war unlike his younger brother Leonard Mark Smith who was killed in action 28th March 1918 at Arras.

Ralph Edward Smith (father of the contributor) joined the Royal Engineers at the age of 19 and went to Mesopotamia. He was promoted to sergeant, captured by the Turks and held at a local village. He was held there for two days before being rescued by two Gurkhas. He was taken back to camp where he was relieved of his sergeant stipes because it was against orders to leave the camp at night and alone. He survived the war and came home in 1918 to peace and unemployment. He wouldn't marry until he found a job, which he did in 1926. || Photo of Ralph Edward Smith taken in 1928.

My Great Great Uncle Leonard Mark Smith was born on 12th July 1895 in Chelmsford, Essex. Son to Arthur Smith and Mary Smith. At the outbreak of war in 1914 he went to his local recruiting office at Warley, Essex and volunteered for the army. Aged 19 he was enlisted with the Essex Regiment 2nd Battalion, based at Warley, Essex. After training, Private 10353 Smith landed in France on 24th March 1915. In March 1918 Leonard found himself at the front line at Arras. The Germans had started a huge counter attack on our forces on the 21st of March and soon made a hole in the allied defences when they over ran the Portuguese forces, this was a dangerous gap in the line and the Essex regiment were charged with filling the gap and holding the line, they valiantly plugged the gap and held off the Germans but were reduced to 80 men, amongst the fatalities was Leonard Smith, killed in action on the 28th March. He has no known grave but is remembered on the Arras Memorial, Pas de Calais in France and on the Chelmsford memorial. He was entitled to the 1914-1915 Star, British war Medal and Victory Medal. || Photo of Leonard Mark Smith