Pte 50103 William Smith

• Age: 20
• From: Liverpool
• Regiment: The King's (Liverpool Regiment) 18th Btn
• K.I.A Thursday 28th March 1918
• Commemorated at: Pozieres Memorial
  Panel Ref: P21-23

William Smith was born in Liverpool on 26th March 1898, the son of Richard Henry Smith and Catherine Jane (née Finch). He was baptised in St. Sylvester on 4th April 1898. His father, born in Bootle, and his mother in Liverpool, married on 23rd June 1890 at St Alban's Church, Liverpool and had 11 children.  Their first child, Bridget, died in infancy.  William had older siblings Richard, George, and Mary, and younger siblings Thomas, Catherine, Martha, James, Albert, and Christopher. 

In 1901 they are living in a multi-occupation residence at 49 Regents Road, Scotland Road.
The father Richard H. aged 29 is a Quay carterwho was born in Bootle, and his wife Catherine J. is aged 28 and born in Liverpool. Their children were born Liverpool, Richard H. 8, George 6, Mary 4, William 3, and Thomas 11mths.  Also in the household is his widowed grandfather, William M. Finch, 60.

By 1911 they have moved to 283 Grafton Street, Toxteth Park, with all ten children in the household, ranging in age from 3 months to 19 years.  
The father is 39, a railway carter, and his wife is aged 38with no occupation listed. They have been married for 21 years and have had 11 children of which 10 still alive),  Richard, 19, is an apprentice coppersmith, George, 17, is an apprentice tinsmith, and Mary, 15, has no occupation.  William is 13, at school, as are Thomas, 11, Catherine, 9, Martha, 7 and James, 5.  Albert is 3 and Christopher 3 months old.


His brother Christopher died in 1912, aged 13 months.

William enlisted in Liverpool as Private 50103, joining the 20th Battalion of The King’s Liverpool Regiment.  The amount of the War Gratuity suggests that he served for 18 months, enlisting in about September 1916.  He must have lied about his age to serve overseas as he was only 18 and a half years old.  At some point he was transferred to the 18th Battalion, most probably when the 20th battalion was disbanded in France in February 1918.

William was initially declared Missing between 21-28 March 1918, the week he would have turned 20 years old. His death was later assumed, for official purposes, as having occurred on 28th March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.

The Battalion Diary gives an insight into the chaotic events of the day

28^th March

At about 6am the enemy commenced to shell heavily the whole of the forward line and brought Trench Mortars and MACHINE Guns into action.

FOLIES was shelled and the area in the rear of the village as far back as LE QUESNEL.

Rations were received at dawn and parties were organised to carry them to the Companies on the right. Owing to the heavy fire, however, it was not possible to get them up.

Heavy fighting was in progress on the right from soon after dawn and at 8am the enemy was reported to be in possession of BOUCHOIR and progressing towards the BEETROOT FACTORY. About 10am  the 59^th Infy Brigade was notified that it was relieved by the French and the Battalions of that Brigade were at once withdrawn in the direction of LE QUESNEL.

At noon the enemy was bombarding the village and vicinity heavily and reports were received that he was in occupation of WARVILLERS on the left and ARVILLERS on the right.

The front line East of FOLIES continued to resist until about 2pm when the order was received from the 89^th Infy Brigade to the effect that the Battalions were relieved by the French and would withdraw at once to MEZIERES, where the men would be fed. Companies withdrew under some shelling and very heavy M.G. and rifle fire from the left , through K10 -K3 – North side LE QUESNEL to the main ROYE road and reorganised about D.29 c. The march from this point was conducted in good order despite the congested roads.

At MEZIERES it was decided to continue a rearward movement and the march was resumed via VILLERS-MOREUIL – MORISEL – ROUVREL, which village was reached about 7pm and the Battalion billeted. The men had marched 13 miles from the left position in good order and with practically no straggling. They were exhausted on arrival at ROUVREL, but in good heart.

Echelon ‘A’ of the Transport joined the Battalion at this village and the men were fed immediately on arrival. The night passed without incident.

William has no known grave and is commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.

The POZIERES MEMORIAL relates to the period of crisis in March and April 1918 when the Allied Fifth Army was driven back by overwhelming numbers across the former Somme battlefields, and the months that followed before the Advance to Victory, which began on 8 August 1918. The Memorial commemorates over 14,000 casualties of the United Kingdom and 300 of the South African Forces who have no known grave and who died on the Somme from 21 March to 7 August 1918.

The cemetery and memorial were designed by W.H. Cowlishaw, with sculpture by Laurence A. Turner. The memorial was unveiled by Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien on 4 August 1930.

His mother Catherine received his Army effects, including a War Gratuity of £8.  The pension card, showing the family address still as 283 Grafton Street, appears to show that a pension was refused (which sometimes happened in cases of missing soldiers), although a second pension card with entries suggesting correspondence and appeals, is stamped “OK” in 1926.

His eldest brother Richard served in the South Lancs Regiment, was wounded in action, and discharged on 19/3/1917 with right arm muscle paralysis and received a 70% disability pension. (It is not known what occupation Richard turned to, as pursuing his coppersmith apprenticeship was probably out of the question with a paralysed arm.)

His father died in 1937 aged 65.  In 1939 his mother Catherine was living alone at 283 Grafton Street.  She lived through the Second World War, and died in 1953, aged 79.

We currently have no further information on William Smith, If you have or know someone who may be able to add to the history of this soldier, please contact us.