Rifleman George Edmund Smith

Date of Birth | 25 August 1894 |
---|---|
Age at Death | 21 |
Date of Death | 28 January 1916 |
Service Number | C/922 |
Military Service | Royal Kings Rifles, 16th Battalion |
Merton Address | 2 Douglas Cottages, Love Lane |
Local Memorial | Mitcham War Memorial |
Additional Information
GEORGE EDMUND was born in Morden on the 25th August 1894 to parents George Edmund (snr) and Elizabeth Mary (nee Watson). He was baptized at St. Lawrence in Morden 25th November that same year. George's parents had married in 1884 and by the time George was born they already had five children: John, Edward, May, Ada and Sarah.
Prior to George’s birth the Census of 1891 show his parents living in Gander Green Lane in Cheam and George (snr) was employed as a Labourer. Records show Ada died in March 1982.
By 1901 George aged 6 and his parents and siblings were living at 1 new Cottages Seares Green in Keston in Kent. George (snr) and eldest son John both worked as farm labourers whilst Elizabeth worked as a Charwoman. (Edward aged 14 was listed as an inmate at S. Metropolitan District School, Banstead Road in Sutton.)
A year or so later the family moved to Mitcham where another child called Jane was born in 1903. The family address was 9 Douglas Cottages, Love Lane .
By 1911 George (snr) aged 49 was working at a Gas works as a Crane Driver and Elizabeth 53 was working as a Charwoman still. They were still at Douglas Cottages in Mitcham.
Eldest son John also worked at the gas works, as a labourer. Edward and May were both listed as being Sick, GEORGE aged 16 was working as a Gardener Helper and Jane was now aged 8. Gorge’s parent had been married for 27 years and of their seven children one had died (Ada). The following year George's brother, Edward’s died.
With the outbreak of war George enlisted in Mitcham on the 7th of October 1914 as a Rifleman with the 16th Battalion of the Kings Royal Rifles and given the service number of C/922.
His occupation was listed as a florist and he was described as being 5ft 11 ¾ inches tall, chest measurement 37 inches and weighed 148 lbs. Having blue eyes and medium brown hair. Geoge was aged 20 and 2 months and living at 2 Douglas cottages, Love Lane in Mitcham with his parents.
After enlisting George and his battalion remained in England at Perham Down Camp training until 15th November 1915. His Battalion was part of the British Expeditionary Force and was despatched to France.
War diaries tell the story of the 16th Battalion of the Kings Royal Rifles. In brief they left the Perham Down camp on the 16th of November 1915 with 30 Officers and 994 other ranks, 64 horses and mules, 19 vehicles and 9 bicycles and proceeded to Southampton arriving in Havre on the 17th of November.
At 11.30 am on the 18th they started marching through various French towns and villages arriving in St.Hilaire in early December. Throughout this time, they kept up with their training but didn’t appear to come into conflict with the enemy. On 28th December the Battalion left St.Hilaire and marched to Gonneham then onto Bethune and Fouquerevil.
By late January 1916 the Battalion had reached Annequin Fosse. It was here on the 28th of January the Battalion were subjected to a bombardment which commenced at 10:00am and continued to 5pm. The Battalion suffered 21 men killed and 30 wounded. George Edmund Smith was one of those men killed.
George is commemorated at Loos Memorial Pas de Calais in France and the Mitcham War memorial.