WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

Austin Clifford Smith was born at Greenhill, Eastmoor close to Wakefield on the 26th of October 1891. He was one of 10 having 4 brothers and 5 sisters. His mother died in 1900 and his father worked in the pits for 30 years ending up as a manager.

Austin Smith enlisted in 1915 at the age of 24.One of his first duties as part of the Royal Naval Division was as a pallbearer for Captain Warneford VC on the 23/06/1915. Warneford specialised in downing Zeppelins and was in the Royal Flying Corps.

Austin is the 2nd pallbearer from the left.

After the funeral he was going to and fro to Gallipoli on what appears to be roughly 4 months tours. By the end of the Gallipoli campaign the Royal Naval Division transferred from the authority of the Admiralty to the War Office. On the 20th April 1916 Austin was redesignated to 63rd (Royal Navy) Division in the 2nd Battalion RMLI 7th Platoon B Company.
Austin married Hilda Annie Renshaw at St Johns Church in Forton Barracks, Gosport on Saturday 16th October 1915. They were allowed one night together.
Her father Sam Renshaw an engineer in the pits was the inventor of the machine that pumped fresh air around the mines.
What has been ascertained is that after the wedding Austin went to Mudros part of the Gallipolli Campaign from January to May 1916

A letter sent by Austin to Hilda from Mudros,his nickname for her was kid and below are the beads.
If you click on the images they will enlarge. This applies to all images on this blog

These are the prayer beads he sent to Hilda off a Turk in the Mudros region.
I think Austin had re-badged at this period of time to the ROYAL MARINE LIGHT INFANTRY as he was posted to France

The conditions at the Mudros base were squalid and moral was not good.
Feelings was that of abandonment and there was worse to come

May 1916 Austin was moved to France and his mining skills would be tested to the limits on the battlefields over the next few months.

13-15 November 1916....The battle of Ancre....1 RMLI....127 KILLED
2 RMLI....205 KILLED

17-21 February 1917....The battle of Miraumont....1 RMLI Advance with heavy loss
2 RMLI Relieve 1 RMLI 32 KILLED

28-29 April 1917....The battle of Gavrelle Windmill
1 RMLI....169 KILLED .... 29 POW's
2 RMLI....166 KILLED ....176 POW's

26-28 October 1917 The second battle of Passchendaele.
Both RMLI 1 AND 2 Suffer heavy loses.
At the end of this battle Austin was promoted to L/Corporal

30-31 December 1917 Walsh Ridge, Cambrai
1 RMLI Repulse German Attack
2 RMLI Relieve 1 RMLI ON 31/12/17

14TH January 1918 Austin was promoted to Corporal.

Before the 21st March the British Generals assumed that the Germans were weak in the Cambrai sector, in fact they had beefed up both men and weapons anticipating an attack

March 1918 Austin was promoted again to Sergeant.
21-27 March 1918.....1 and 2 RMLI fall back 40 miles and Austin and his men were GASSED at Bertincourt.
He was captured by the Germans on the 24th March and taken to Denane POW Camp

Austins front line activities were a thing of the past he now had new challenges to overcome.
He was moved to Dulmen by train on the 15/06/1918.
At some stage he was moved again to Cottbus as the allies were advancing again

One cant imagine the anxiety that Hilda had to endure as it was two months before word got to her that Austin had indeed been captured and was alive.
Still not a good situation to be faced with but a lot better than missing

Extracts taken from Austins diary


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Extracts from Austins diary and a couple of letters to Hilda

Austins issued Bible and the diary followed by more extracts

More extracts from Austins diary. What I feel is quite remarkable is Austins moral never dipped even though conditions were harsh and the uncertainty for his future

Some more letters Austin sent during his captivity

Personal details found inside the covers of the Bible and diary

It was quite ironic but two weeks before Austins capture he was recommended for Artillery Commission.
The blue Army form was signed by......
CAPTAIN WRANGHAM
LIEUTENANT LEE
CO SD FARQUARSON
All from the Second Battalion RMLI
If he had not been captured he would have had a greater chance of being killed as Officers always led from the front

Austins luck was about to change. WW1 was over and due to the large amounts of British Pow's interned (160,000)it was decided to repatriate the over 45's, farmers and miners first.
Others were not so lucky and in all the operation took 6 months.
Some soldiers were so tired of waiting that they walked back from Germany.
Austin returned to Forton Barracks until he was demobed on 16th April 1919

Austins Mdals

After being demobed Austin returned to mining were he progressed to manager.

I think Austins story is so typical of all who served our country during the war.
If it was not for these brave men that gave so much for their country, who knows where we would be today. As an ex serviceman myself I will never forget and I pray that their sacrifise lives on in our thoughts

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM

THE SPIRIT

WHEN THERE AINT NO GAL TO KISS YOU,
AND THE POSTMAN SEEMS TO MISS YOU,
AND THE FAGS HAVE SKIPPED ISSUE,
CARRY ON

WHEN YE'VE GOT AN EMPTY BELLY,
AND THE BULLEY'S ROTTEN SMELLY,
AND YOU'RE SHAKING LIKE A JELLY,
CARRY ON

WHEN THE BOSHE HAVE DONE YOUR CHUM IN,
AND THE SERGEANT'S DONE THE RUM IN,
AND THERE AINT NO RATIONS COMIN,
CARRY ON

WHEN THE WORLD IS RED AND REEKING,
AND THE SHRAPNEL SHELLS ARE SHRIEKING,
AND YOUR BODY IS SLOWLY LEAKING,
CARRY ON

WHEN THE BROKEN BATTERED TRENCHES,
ARE LIKE THE BLOODY BUTCHERS TABLE,
AND THE AIR IS THICK WITH STENCHES,
CARRY ON

CARRY ON,
THOUGH YOUR PALS ARE PALE AND WAN,
AND THE HOPE OF LIFE IS GONE,
CARRY ON,
FOR TO DO MORE THAN YOU CAN,
IS TO BE A BRITISH MAN,
NOT A ROTTEN 'ALSO RAN'
CARRY ON.

BY WOODBINE WILLY