Lance Corporal William James Gillard Smith

William was born on 17 November 1877 at St. Giles, Camden. He wasn’t baptised until 1884 when he was seven years of age, and was given the name of William Gillard. His brother Harry who was born in 1881 was baptised at the same time, and was also given the second name of Gillard. His father, William James Smith was a Map-Colourer, and together with his wife Martha, the family lived at 4 Lamb’s Conduit Passage, Holborn. This address derives its name from William Lamb, who in 1577 put the substantial sum of £1500 of his own money into rebuilding the old conduit which fed water to Smithfield, from a spring at Holborn, and then gave 120 buckets to the poor women of the neighbourhood so they could fetch and carry their new water supply. Lambs Conduit Passage is still a narrow passageway to this day.

William married Amy Edith Simmons at Holy Trinity Church, Wallington on 4 August 1913. The couple were both aged 35, and William’s profession is recorded as a Letter Carrier. His address at the time was 2 Haydon Park Road, Wimbledon, and his father was recorded as being deceased. The marriage was witnessed by Amy’s brother William Richard Simmons, and her late father was described as a Dairyman. The next record we have for William is the Electoral Register for 1915, which shows that he was still living at 2 Haydon Park Road, Wimbledon.

The Queens Regiment, Register of Recruits records that William was attested at Kingston on Thames as a Private, on 2nd September 1914 at the age of 36 years. His initial term of service was for one year. He eventually achieved the rank of Lance Corporal, with the 8th Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment (Queens Own). During 1917, some of the battles his Battalion may have participated in are The Battle of Vimy Ridge, The Battle of Messines, The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of Langemarck, and The Cambrai Operations.

On 7 February 1918, the Battalion transferred to the 17th Brigade of the 24th Division. William was killed aged 40, on 26 March 1918, most probably during the Battle of Rosières (26 – 27 March 1918), when the German Army launched a large-scale offensive against the Allied front on the Somme battlefield. The battalion’s War Diary for that day records that between 6am and 7am the enemy had resumed attacks on their lines with Chaulnes as their objective, and that at 8.30am orders were received for the 8th Battalion to proceed to Vrely marching over the Somme battlefields.

William is buried at Berlin South West Cemetery, Brandenburg. His grave is marked with a cross and bears the Inscription “Thy Will Be Done”. His widow Amy’s address is recorded with the War office as 11 Clive Road, Colliers Wood.