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Auction: 21102 - Orders, Decorations and Medals e-Auction 3
Lot: 336

Three: Private W. H. Smith, Dorsetshire Regiment, killed in action on 17 August 1917 at Langemarck, Belgium

1914-15 Star (11075 Pte W. G. Smith. Dorset:R.); British War and Victory Medals (11075 Pte. W. H. Smith. Dorset. R.), nearly extremely fine (3)

William Henry Smith served with the 5th Battalion, Dorsetshire Regiment, entering the war in the Aegean on 11 July 1915. The Battalion took part in the landings at Suvla Bay on the morning of 7 August 1915 - a confused operation with Turkish troops alert to the British presence well before they reached the shore. Despite heavy fire, Colonel Hannay managed to form his Battalion up and advance on Hill 10 which was captured by 06:00, with Hill 28 following soon after. However they found themselves in danger of being cut off as the attack ground to a halt across the line forcing them to consolidate and dig in. Further attacks later in the month at Scimitar Hill and Hetmans Chair caused high casualties with disease taking a further toll. Having been evacuated at the tail end of 1915 the Battalion went to Egypt before travelling to Marseilles in July 1916. Here they faced action on the Somme in September 1916, near Baeucourt between the tail end of 1916 and the start of 1917 and finally near Ypres at Langemarck. It was here, on 17 August 1917, that Smith was killed; the regimental history states:

'(...) much sniper fire was endured throughout the day of the 17th August, 1917, and during the evening the Battalion was relieved by the Sherwood Foresters.'

He was buried in the New Irish Farm Cemetery, St. Jean-les-Ypres, Belgium; sold together with copied research.

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Sold for
£110

Starting price
£40