1914-15 Star medal trio awarded to 4004 D. SMITH 1/6th DURH: L. I. wounded in action 1 Oct 1916, Battle of the Transloy Ridges
Born circa 1875 in Fairfield in the county of Derbyshire, David Smith of Front St, Frosterley in the parish of Stanhope was a [limestone] quarryman aged 39 years 3 months when he joined the 6th Durham Light Infantry at Bishop Auckland on 3 July 1915, under the regimental number [6/]4004. He gave his next of kin as his mother, Mary Martha Smith (address unknown). He was embodied in the 2/6th Battalion the same day. By the 10th of July, when he took the Imperial and General Service Obligation, he was with the Third Line of the 6th battalion (later to become 3/6th DLI) at Morpeth. On 28 September, immediately prior to going overseas, he was transferred to the 1/6th battalion. He was sent overseas to France via Southampton on 1 October 1915, disembarking on 2 October, and was awarded the 1914-1915 Star in consequence. From '50th Division Base' (presumably the relevant base depot) he was posted on 30 October 1915 to No.3 Entrenching Battalion, 3rd Army, to do useful work whilst awaiting gaps to arise which would necessitate his onward posting to the 1/6th DLI. The 3rd Entrenching Battalion was attached to X Corps which operated in the Somme sector (the 3rd Battalion had been at Albert in August) so it is probably reasonable to assume that this is where Pte Smith spent his time awaiting posting onwards.
Upon finally joining the 1/6th in the field on 18 January 1916 he was posted to 'Y' Company. To quote from the Durham at War website: "As part of the 151st Brigade of 50th (Northumbrian) Division, the 1st/6th Battalion served until August 1916 in the trenches of the Ypres Salient, Armentieres (where [in mid-August 1915] the four companies were re-named as ‘W’, ‘X’, ‘Y’, and ‘Z’), and Kemmel. The last two places were supposedly ‘quiet’, but the battalion rarely enjoyed days free from casualties." [The regimental history notes the amount of sniping going on, and records 1-3 hour enemy trench mortar bombardments as a daily feature.] At the time of his joining it the battalion was in the line at Kemmel, just south of the Ypres Salient. The regimental history gives a concise account of the battalion's activities during this period, which would have given Pte Smith his first taste of line in the line:
"Throughout January and February there were local artillery combats which terminated with the capture of Hill 60 and "The Bluff." On the 1st March there was a demonstration at 5 p.m., which consisted of artillery and infantry fire and cheering as if for an attack. The following morning at 4.32 a.m. the 3rd Division attacked and captured International and New Year trenches and "The Bean" with over 200 prisoners. On the 18th March, the Battalion was relieved and moved to Poperinghe by train from Ypres. Four days later it returned again by train and took over the recently captured Bluff trenches from the 10th Royal Welsh Fusiliers (3rd Division). These trenches were round the edge of the Bluff crater and were in a very bad condition due to the rain and heavy shelling, and were littered with remnants of German equipment and their dead. X Company were on the right in New Year trench supported by Y Company in Gordon Post. W Company were in the centre in "The Loop," and Z Company on the left in "The Bean."
On the 27th March, at 4.15 a.m., the 3rd Division on the right attacked at St. Eloi, and during the attack the Medical Officer (Capt. White) and a party of stretcher bearers rendered valuable assistance. A few days later (2nd April) the Battalion was relieved by the Canadians, who had suffered heavily from shell fire in coming up, and moved again to Dickebusch, where there was a stay of two days before moving South to Scottish Lines at Westoutre and La Clyte.
A week later, on the 8th April, the Battalion was again in the line, this time relieving the 7th Battalion Shropshire Light Infantry in trenches N and O, in front of Wytschaete, with back area at La Clyte. These trenches were of the breastwork type. About this time there was a good deal of fighting on the left, where the Germans were trying to retake the St. Eloi craters."
Being in 'Y' Company, it is possible that Pte Smith was part of the battalion's first significant raids, on 6, 9 and 12 July, again at Kemmel:
"On the 28th May the Battalion returned to the trenches it had left a month before, and on the 2nd June the men were able to watch the German attack between Hill 60 and Hooge and the Canadian counter-attacks on the following day... During this tour the first Battalion raid was made by men of Y Company under 2nd Lieut. H.C. Annett and 2nd Lieut. J.F.G. Aubin, who was Battalion Bombing Officer. The party consisted of 24 men, including two bombing squads, and had as its object identification of the enemy on the immediate front. The night of the 6th [July] was chosen and the party went out as arranged. In No Man's Land they met a large enemy wiring party and their object was not attained. Three nights later, however, a German was captured, and again on the [14th] the raiding party went out, this time with the object of killing Boches. They entered the enemy trench, and after doing considerable damage with bombs and rifles, returned without casualty." (From the battalion history; material in [square] brackets has been corrected by reference to the battalion war diary.)
The battalion was subsequently sent south to join the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. Here the battalion, Pte Smith most probably amongst them, went into action by High Wood, participating in attacks including those on Starfish Trench on 15 and 18 September.
Pte Smith was wounded in action on 1 October 1916, suffering a gun shot wound to the back during the opening day of the Battle of Le Transloy (or Battle of the Transloy Ridges). He was listed accordingly in the War Office daily [casualty] list for 8 November 1916, as follows:
First Name:
D
Surname:
Smith
Resided Town:
Frosterley
Report Date:
08/11/1916
Information:
Listed as "Wounded" on the Casualty List issued by the War Office.
Further Information:
This man was entitled to wear a "Wound Stripe" as authorised under Army Order 204 of 6th July 1916. The terms of this award being met by their naming in this list.
Rank:
Private
Service Number:
4004
Service:
British Army
Primary Unit:
Durham Light Infantry.
The Battle of the Transloy Ridges was one of three major attacks commenced on 1 October 1916, all aiming to continue the push towards Bapaume and deny the Germans the chance to recover and consolidate their defences. Amid conditions made more difficult by heavy rainfall, the attack was timed for 3.15pm on the 1st. Unfortunately the preliminary bombardment which preceded it included some 'shorts', claiming 40 casualties from amongst the battalion of which the CO, Major Wilkinson, was one and Pte Smith possibly another.
In the battle the 50th Division (under Major-General P. S. Wilkinson) attacked with the 151st Brigade in front, advancing on the line between Le Sars on the left and Eaucourt L'Abbaye Farm on the right. On the brigade's right flank Pte Smith's battalion was exposed by the repulse of the 1/17th London (47th Division) by the fortified farm (a former monastic grange) at Eaucourt l'Abbaye. Due to this reverse and the wire not being properly cut the 1/6th suffered many casualties from German machine-gun fire passing over the muddy, shell-pocked ground. Notwithstanding this, the battalion, after considerable fighting with bombs and rifles, was able to capture a short length of Flers Trench, gaining a foothold via four Lewis gun teams from X and W Companies which then organised the position and carried out bombing attacks. Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel R.B. Bradford of the sister 1/9th DLI, having taken command of both the 1/6th and 1/9th at his own request, joined the position at this point, directing further operations which completed the capture of the first objective and allowed a company of the 1/9th to come through and take the final objective, capturing the rest of Flers Trench by 9:30 p.m. It was for these actions he was subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross*. Lt-Col Bradford had previously, for a brief period in December 1915, been Adjutant of the 1/6th Battalion.
Meanwhile, in the centre, a composite battalion of the 1/5th Border, 1/8th DLI and the 1/5th Northumberland Fusiliers (attached from the 149th Brigade on the left), benefitted from an excellent barrage to advance and capture the Flers trenches before the defenders could react.
The defenders of the 50th Division repulsed one attempted and one developing counter-attack after dark and the captured line was extended through bombing attacks and consolidated the following day. After the two days' fighting the battalion had four officers left under the command of a Lieutenant.
Meanwhile, after being placed under the care of 1/3rd [Northumbrian] Field Ambulance Pte Smith was transferred to 30th Casualty Clearing Station on 2 October and then, via 5th General Hospital at Rouen on 8 October 1916 was evacuated home, for sixth-eight days' treatment at the 4th Scottish General Hospital. At this time his wound was described as VI. (Gunshot wounds of the back and spine) 1. (Simple flesh contusions and wounds) and classified as severe.
On 28 December 1916 he was transferred to a reserve battalion of the DLI (probably 'B' Company of the 5th Reserve Battalion), and allocated the six-digit TF number 201170. Then, on 16 March 1917 he was posted to the 1st battalion, Durham Light Infantry out in India. Embarking at Devonport on 10 May, he arrived at Bombay on 12 June 1917. At this time, the battalion was on garrison duties at Nowshera on the Kabul river in the Valley of Peshawar, in modern-day Pakistan, later in the war moving to Rawalpindi in the Punjab.
Subsequently, on or around 30 January 1918 he was transferred to the Yorkshire Regiment under the regimental number 66082 (also given in other sources as 40027) and served with the 1st Garrison Battalion also in India, where it had been since 1915. His service included 40 days in hospital suffering from heat stroke between July and August 1918. Save for one instance of 'insolence to a Warrant Officer on parade' (for which he got ten days' detention) at Sialkot in December 1918 his regimental conduct sheet with them was clean. He was posted home on 22 February 1919 and, passing through a dispersal unit at North Camp, Ripon, was disembodied (on demobilisation) on 9 May 1919, proceeding home via Durham railway station. He was medical category B.1 on discharge, and aged around 44. He received his 1914-15 Star in April 1921.
*Victoria Cross citation of Lieutenant (Temporary Lieutenant Colonel) Roland Boys Bradford MC: London Gazette, 25 November 1916: “For most conspicuous bravery and good leadership in attack, whereby he saved the situation on the right flank of his Brigade and of the Division. Lieutenant Colonel Bradford’s battalion was in support. A leading battalion having suffered very severe casualties and the Commander wounded, its flank became dangerously exposed at close quarters to the enemy. Raked by machine gun fire, the situation of the battalion was critical. At the request of the wounded Commander, Lieutenant Colonel Bradford asked permission to command the exposed battalion in addition to his own. Permission granted, he at once proceeded to the foremost lines. By his fearless energy under fire of all descriptions, and by skilful leadership of the two battalions, regardless of all danger, he succeeded in rallying the attack, captured and defended the objective, and so secured the flank”. (Credit: Durham at War website)
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