Ernest Smith

Ernest Smith was born in Cheltenham in 1887, the only son of William and Fortune Smith, his father was a Butcher. Both his parents were from Radnorshire in Wales. The family lived at Millbrook Terrace, 19 Millbrook Street.

Before the war Ernest worked at Arthur Jack and Co., Watchmakers on The Promenade. He married Esther ‘Daisy’ Jones on 22nd August 1914, the daughter of a Mason, at Christ Church, Cheltenham. Daisy and Ernest lived at 43 St. George’s Street. Daisy was left a widow with a young son at the age of 21 years old.

Ernest enlisted in May 1916 at Bristol and served in the 2/5th Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment. According to the battalion war diaries his battalion was ordered to prepare for an attack and was in the front line on 6th April 1917, moving into position at 11pm for an assault the next day. During the deployment one man was killed and another wounded. Ernest was the man who was killed in action in a wire cutting operation against enemy trenches on 7th April 1917 at Bihecourt, France.

He is buried at Vadencourt British Cemetery, Maissemy, Aisne, France and is mentioned on his parent’s grave in Cheltenham cemetery. He is also commemorated on the Cheltenham war memorial, the Charlton Kings war memorial and St. Mary’s Church war memorial in Charlton Kings.