Lt Col William Alfred Smith

• Age: 36
• From: Hope under Dinmore
• Regiment: 18TH Bn Manchester
• Died on Sunday 9th July 1916
• Commemorated at: Corbie Cc Ext
  Panel Ref: I.C.59

William Alfred Smith was born in 1880 in Hope under Dinmore, Herefordshire.  His parents William James Smith and Emily Alice Carwardine had married in Leominster in 1867. He had a number of sisters, including Alice,  Marion, Jane, Ellen, Edith, Agnes, Jessie, and Winifred. And  brothers Henry, and Hubert. 

In 1891 the family is living at Gattertop, Hope under Dinmore. His father is a farmer. William is 11. 

By 1901 his widowed mother is head of household, at Gattertop, William is 21, with no occupation listed.

While in residence at Pembroke College he was captain in the Cambridge University Corps. He obtained a cadetship in the Royal Irish Constabulary This was an initial stepping stone to RIC District Inspector Class 3, and LG tells us he actually won it "after limited competition" on 28 Feb 1905. Prior to the war he was Detective Inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary, then transferred to Liverpool and rose to Second Asst CC and in 1910 was appointed second Assistant Chief Constable of the Liverpool police, in the place of Mr. Francis Caldwell, who then became first assistant. 

In 1908 William married Alice Graham, second daughter of the late Major-General J.G. Graham, 1^st (Royal) Dragoons, J.P., and D.L. of Mossknowe and Wyseby, Dumfriesshire, and grand-daughter of the late Sir James Hay, seventh baronet.

By 1911 William and Alice, both 31, are living at 5 Brompton Avenue, Toxteth Park, Liverpool. William is Assistant Head Constable, Liverpool Police.  Their daughter Felicity was born in the summer of 1912.

William enlisted in 20^th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment, he was appointed adjutant. 

Formed in November 1914 the 20^th Battalion were originally billeted at Tournament Hall, Knotty Ash before on 29^th January 1915 they moved to the hutted accommodation purposely built at Lord Derby’s estate at Knowsley Hall. On 30th April 1915 the 20th Battalion alongside the other three Pals battalions left Liverpool via Prescot Station for further training at Belton Park, Grantham. They remained here until September 1915 when they reached Larkhill Camp on Salisbury Plain. 

He arrived in France at Boulogne with his battalion on 07^th November 1915.

In February 1916 he took on a further responsibility as outlined in the battalion diary of 16th February 1916:  

Lieut.-Col. H.W. Cobham took over temporary Command of 89^th Brigade.  Major W.A. Smith took over Command of battalion, which took over front line trenches at Maricourt.

On 13th March 1916 Major W.A. Smith left the 20th battalion to take over temporary command of the 18^th  Battalion of the Manchester Regiment and on 20th April 1916 was appointed to the Command of the 18^th Manchesters (3^rd City Pals).

The new Commanding Officer would have just over two months to ready the Battalion for its greatest test, the forthcoming Somme offensive and the assault on the Village of Montauban on the 1^st July. In the early hours of the 1^st July, the 18^th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment filed in to their assembly trenches in front of Cambridge Copse to await the arrival of H Hour and their part in the advance and capture of the Village of Montauban. They would attack in conjunction with the Liverpool Pals some of whom had earlier been under his command. Lt Colonel Smith's diary of the day gives a detailed description of the actions of the Manchester Pals which led to the capture of Montauban:

G.O.C 90th Infantry Brigade 

Sir.

I have the honour to report that the Brigade, having begun the advance 1 hour after zero as ordered, the various detachments of the Battalion under my command left their assembly trenches between 1 hour and 15 minutes and 1 hour and 30 minutes after zero. 

1. I had 2 platoons attached to the Field Company Royal Engineers to carry stores for them to Montauban. 

2. 2 platoons carrying Royal Engineer stores to keep “A” at Montauban. 

3. 2 platoons carrying small arms ammunition and bombs to Montauban. 

4. 1 platoon carrying small arms ammunition between dumps within our own lines. 

5. 1 platoon carrying ammunition for the stokes mortar battery. 

There were left to me, 2 Companies to form the Brigade reserve, but half of one of those Companies had to carry equipment up for the Brigade machine gun company to Montauban. 

Generally speaking, all the carrying parties and the Brigade reserve moved off in rear of the other 3 Battalions of the Brigade, but as the leading Battalions halted for some time, these parties closed up and in one case (No 1) arrived there before some of the party for whom they were carrying and the others practically on the heels of the assaulting troops. 

All carrying parties had casualties on the way up caused by machine gun fire and shells, but showing admirable devotion to duty every Man arrived at his destination with his load-excepting casualties-and among them individuals, through no fault of their own became detached from their units on the way up. The loads were found to be very heavy, especially in view of the heat and most Men arrived in an exhausted condition, but all parties went back for more and no time was lost. Many casualties occurred in subsequent journeys owing to shell fire. 

As regards the Brigade reserve, 1 Company started to advance about 500 yards in rear of the 2nd Royal Scots Fusiliers but as the leading Battalion halted for some time and it became difficult to distinguish different units, the Company pressed through the units in front and went straight to a front about 600 yards South of Montauban and commenced digging in. During the advance, the Company suffered many casualties from shells and rifle and machine gun fire on our left. The platoon on the left, touching the railway, crossed over and disposed of some cunning snipers. 

The other Company of the reserve together with the Brigade machine gun company and Battalion Headquarters advanced close in rear of the other Company but finding the Battalions in front halted, it remained for about 30 minutes in the vicinity of the enemy valley support trench. Up to and during this time there was a lot of machine gun and rifle fire from the left and a fair amount of shelling which caused some casualties. During the halt, I got a machine gun and Lewis gun into position in order to bring fire to bear on the trenches on our left, but as the exact spot where the fire came from could not be located and the adjoining Brigade appeared to be advancing in trenches instead of above ground, I was afraid of shooting into them and had to abandon the fire but was able to fire with effect into a party of enemy retreating to our left. 

As the leading Battalions advanced, I moved up to my intended advanced position in Alt Trench, but as we were heavily shelled I decided to go forward to the trench South of Montauban where I joined the 2 Companies of Royal Scots Fusiliers, the other Company being in rear in the ravine. The half Company with me then commenced digging a new trench but shortly afterwards I was ordered, by O.C Montauban, to send it to reinforce the 16th Battalion, Manchester Regiment. In the meantime, the Brigade Machine Gun Company had advanced into Montauban and the O.C that Company ordered the 2 Platoons of the Reserve Company attached to Him to assist in making emplacements and to go to Maricourt for ammunition. I was afterwards ordered by O.C Montauban to send my remaining reserve Company to reinforce the 17th Battalion, Manchester Regiment in Montauban. 

Later, in the Evening, I was ordered to withdraw the reserve companies and I sent them back to the ravine. The following morning I moved my Headquarters back from South Trench to Train Alley. 

During the morning of the 2nd Inst, nothing of note occurred but I was able to increase the reserve company by the addition of some of the carrying parties. 

I have the honour to be Sir,

Yours obedient. 

W.A Smith, Lieutenant Colonel.

A week later Lt Colonel Smith was in the company of Lt Colonel Trotter of the 18th Battalion of the King's Liverpool Regiment as the extract from the 18th Battalion diary shows:

On the 8 July, the Battalion was ordered up to Train Alley, to provide carrying parties for the rest of the Brigade. This was because there were insufficient numbers left after the losses of 1 July, for the Battalion to man the line. Trotter went ahead of the unit, and reached the Headquarters of the 21st Brigade, in Train Alley. At about 5.30 pm the Germans shelled the trench, and a shell landed on the position killing Trotter, and Second-Lieutenant N A S Barnard. The Commanding Officer of the 18th Battalion, The Manchester Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel William Alfred Smith, formerly Second in Command of the 20th Battalion, The King's (Liverpool Regiment) was fatally wounded by the same shell.

William Alfred died of wounds the following day 09th July 1916, aged 36.

William now rests at Corbie Communal Cemetery Extension where his headstone bears the epitaph: 

‘AS DYING AND BEHOLD WE LIVE AS CHASTENED & NOT KILLED”

Corbie was about 20 kilometres behind the front when Commonwealth forces took over the line from Berles-au-Bois southward to the Somme in July 1915. The town immediately became a medical centre, with Nos 5 and 21 Casualty Clearing Stations based at La Neuville (the suburb across the Ancre) until October 1916 and April 1917 respectively. In November 1916 the front moved east, but the German advance in the Spring of 1918 came within 10 kilometres of the town and brought with it field ambulances of the 47th Division and the 12th Australian Field Ambulance. The communal cemetery was used for burials until May 1916, when the plot set aside was filled and the extension opened. The majority of the graves in the extension are of officers and men who died of wounds in the 1916 Battle of the Somme. The remainder relate to the fighting of 1918. The communal cemetery contains 249 First World War burials, the extension 918. The extension was designed by Charles Holden.

The Liverpool Echo, 18^th July 1916 reported his death:

“Roll of Honour: Liverpool’s Assistant Head Constable.  Lieutenant-Colonel William Alfred Smith, Second Assistant Head Constable of Liverpool, died of wounds on July 9.  He was son of the late Mr. W.A.E. Smith, of Gattertop, and of Mrs. Scudamore Smith, of Walton, Cleveland, Somerset, and was thirty-six years of age. In January of this Year he was given the command of one of the battalions of the Manchester Regiment. Lieut.-Colonel Smith was in charge of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Liverpool police.

He married, in 1908, Alice, second daughter of the late Major-General J.G. Graham, 1^st (Royal) Dragoons, J.P., and D.L. of Mossknowe and Wyseby, Dumfriesshire, and grand-daughter of the late Sir James Hay, seventh baronet. He leaves one daughter.

Lieut.-Colonel Smith, an officer of the highest repute in the Liverpool  Constabulary, had won for himself great popularity among all ranks. He had the interest of the police greatly at heart, displaying much sympathy with all the institutions associated with the force. He was remarkable for his commanding athletic figure, which never appeared to better advantage than when on duty on horseback at some public function.”

Soldiers Effects to widow Mrs Alice Smith, note DOW on 10th July 1916. The Pension record seems to have no award.

Alice’s brother died at Ypres in 1917.

She never remarried, and died in 1955.

His daughter married an Army professional, and lived to the age of 99, dying in 2011.

William is commemorated in the Hall of Remembrance, Liverpool Town Hall at Panel 40. 

In 2018 - Merseyside Chief Constable Andy Cooke was quoted: "a plaque for William Alfred Smith as part of a commemorative film Merseyside Police are making for the Centenary of WW1"

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