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Leongatha & District
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
HISTORY OF THE FORMER WOORAYL SHIRE
Dumbalk • Inverloch • Koonwarra • Leongatha • Meeniyan • Ruby
Tarwin Lower • Venus Bay • Walkerville
SMITH, William Christopher
Number:
Private 382
38th Battalion
Horsham
His wife Mrs. Lily Smith of Garvie's Post office Mardan South via Leongatha
Leongatha 13/3/1916
Age 28 years, 5'8", 10 stone, blue eyes and light brown hair.
Presbyterian
Labourer
Reported missing in action on 13/10/1917 at Passchendaele & declared to have been killed at an enquiry.
He is buried in Tyne Cot cemetery, Passchendaele, Belgium
He was from the Mardan area
He is on the Meeniyan Honour Roll
13/3/ 16 He enlisted in Leongatha
20/6/16 He embarked Melbourne on HMAT Runic
10/8/16 He disembarked at Plymouth England
22/11/16 He proceeded to France via Southampton
24/11/16 He was sick hospital with mumps
3/12/16 He was discharged to his unit
4/12/16 He rejoined unit
7/6/17- 9/6/17 he was wounded in action suffering from the impact of gas and transferred to the Australian Field Ambulance
14/6/17 He was discharged
16/6/17 He returned to his unit
13/10/17 He was missing in the field at Passchendaele Belgium
28/4/18 A Court of Enquiry declared he was killed in action on 13/10/17
His wife Lily moved to Leongatha and lived at "Elmo" Inlet Rd Leongatha with her sister in law Mrs. Garvie also a war widow
There is a very good letter from Lily regarding his demise on page 46 of his file
13/9/19 Lily asked for a death certificate
27/9/21Lily received a photo of his grave
19/3/23 Lily received his Victory medal
4/11/22 Lily received the memorial plaque
13/5/22 Lily received the memorial scroll
His effects were 2 razors, razor strap, money belt wrist watch damaged letters, candlestick, razor, badge, shaving brush piece of chain
Lily received a pension of 2 pounds per fortnight from 16/3/18 and their son William Ernest Smith received 20/- from 16/3/18
William C Smith married Lily Eveline Garvie in 1916
William Ernest Smith was born in Leongatha in 1916
Lily Eveline was born in Leongatha in 1897. Her parents were George Garvie and Jane Baird
Her siblings were Janet Albertina born in Clunes in 1890, Walter Stanley born in Koorooman in 1892 and Minnie Hart born in Leongatha in 1895
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