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Auction: 23112 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 209

(x) 1914-15 Star (Capt. C. F. Smith. P.P.C.L.I.), nearly extremely fine

Cuthbert Fairbanks-Smith was born on 18 March 1885 at Lee, London. Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Berkshire Regiment in 1903, he transferred to the Middlesex Regiment the following year and was advanced Lieutenant in 1906. Smith was seconded during 1909 to the West African Field Force in Southern Nigeria, serving there until 1910. Thence posted onto India, he was present at the Delhi Durbar of 1911 (Medal) as a member of the 8th Lucknow Division Staff, under the command of General Sir Bryan Mahon. Smith was Deputy Assistant Adjutant General of the 8th Division from 1912-13, before apparently being posted to Canada. He joined the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry in Ottawa as one of their original officers in August 1914.

The unit travelled to England and were the first Canadian unit to reach France during the Great War, landing at Le Havre on 21 December 1914. On 29 December, Hamilton Gault left with Smith and two NCOs for the 3rd Division trenches near Kemmel to orient themselves with trench warfare. The War Diary records this historic event:

'Tue, Dec 29, 1914 BLARINGHEM, FRANCE

29.12.14 Major (A.H.) Gault, Capt (C.F.) SMITH & 2 N.C.O's went up to trenches of 3rd Division at KEMMEL. 24 hours in trenches to learn method of reliefs & gain experience: valuable hints and information gained.'

According to an article in the 2 February 1915 issue of The Gazette (Montreal), Fairbanks-Smith was one of the first members CEF to go into action. In the article, he describes the horrid conditions in water-filled trenches, the pluck of the newly arrived Canadians, and the poor sanitary habits of the French troops. He also recalls a near miss when a German bullet passed between his head and that of a Canadian sergeant, missing both men by mere inches.

On 9 January 1915, he was admitted to No. 7 Stationary Hospital, Boulogne with a dislocated semi-lunar cartilage of his right knee. The injury incapacitated him for six weeks and required him being invalided back to England. The 2 February 1915 of the Montreal Gazette states that Fairbanks-Smith was injured while traversing some trenches in almost total darkness. He fell into a trench filled with German dead, dislocating his knee and remained there for two days under intermittent shell-fire until recovered by men of his unit. Recovered from his injury, he was likely with the unit in their famous stand at Ypres in May 1915 and thence transferred to the Durham Light Infantry in September 1915.

After the Great War, he played first class cricket for Somerset and went to the United States in retirement. Settling in California, Smith was a motion picture executive and later owned a restaurant and died on 25 May 1948 at Middleton, Sussex; sold together with copied research.


Subject to 5% tax on Hammer Price in addition to 20% VAT on Buyer’s Premium.

Sold for
£350

Starting price
£170