Lieutenant Sidney Smith (1886-1915)

Service No: 12651 – 13^th Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery

Sidney Smith was born in Charlton the eldest of two children born to electrical engineer William and his wife Marion. By 1911 the family was living at The Laurels, The Green, Castle Bromwich with William working for the Birmingham Corporation. Both sons were still living at home, with Sidney working as a mechanical engineer and his brother Herbert studying Medicine at Birmingham University.

2Lt Sydney SMITH was attached to 113 HB 16.03.1915. Source: Official 113 HB WD. His medal index card indicates that he was killed in action on 8^th December 1915. The diary WO 297/1 which runs from Oct 1915 records at 3 45 on 8 Dec 1915 Lt S Smith was killed by shell fire when in charge of a working party repairing trenches close to Lone Tree.

He is commemorated at Mazingarbe Communal Cemetery, France, on the Castle Bromwich war memorial, on a plaque inside St Mary and St Margaret Church and on the headstone of the family grave in Castle Bromwich graveyard.