“Geo Smith” as listed on the British Legion Roll. George was born in 1882 and enlisted on 16th December 1914 at the same time as George Lewis, Thomas Scopes and Albert Lockwood. He was Private No 17131 in the 9th Suffolk (D Company) and went to France with his battalion on 30th August 1915. He suffered shell-shock on 2nd December 1915 and returned to England for treatment at Fort Pitt, Chatham, Kent on 6th January 1916. He was transferred to the Meadow Rooms in Cobham and remained there until 17th November 1917. George was obviously considered unfit for front-line duty and transferred to the Labour Corps as No 86204 on 16th March 1917. He returned to France on 25th March 1917 and remained there until 1st March 1919 having spent another period of time in hospital for an unspecified reason. He had 14 days leave to the UK in July/August 1918.
While with the Labour Corps he gained promotion to acting corporal and was demobbed on 1st April 1919.
His service record gives details of one child born in 1907 and his wife Edith Mary Smith. Edith stayed for a time with her sister-in-law in Braintree (see Franks record) but moved back when George was sent home on leave.
A marriage is record in the Bosmere registration District in the second quarter of 1906 of George Arthur Smith to Edith Mary Atkins. The death of a George A Smith (born in 1882) was recorded in Ipswich in 1951.
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