Image Gallery: September 2010
17 September 2010
Minister of Defence Stephen Smith at the Australian War Memorial
Alfred Henry Smith has been identified as the Minister’s father’s uncle.
Alfred Smith was the son of William Henry Smith and Mary Ann Smith of Claremont WA. He was born in SA. He was 5 ft 6 in inches, weighed 120 pounds, and was of fair complexion with blue eyes and brown hair. He had a small depression on the outer edge of his left eye. He listed his trade as an ironmonger. He enlisted in WA soon after the outbreak of war, joining on 17 August 1914.
His age on enlistment was 21 years 8 months (in August 1914), but his mother recorded him as being 21 years and 3 months when he died (in April 1915 at Gallipoli). Assuming his mother was correct, to have given his true age would have meant that he would have needed his parents permission to enlist as he was under 21 at the time he enlisted.
Within two weeks of his enlistment he was twice fined for being AWOL and breaking camp.
On 2 November 1914 he embarked from Fremantle on HMAT Ascanius for Egypt. After undergoing training in Egypt, he embarked from Egypt to Gallipoli on HMT Suffolk with the 11th Battalion on 2 May 1915. Alfred Smith served in the 3rd Brigade and this Battalion was one of the first to land at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915.
Private Alfred Smith was killed on 25 April 1915 during the landing, aged 21. Originally he was declared missing. His file records his parents’ numerous efforts to locate him and their hope that he was a prisoner of war.
On 10 April 1916 an official court of enquiry declared him killed in action on 25 April 1915. Several witnesses had stated they had seen him after that date, but they either did not know him personally or had mistaken him for another Smith. It is not known whether Alfred Smith’s parents received any of these communications, especially those which reported him as alive and well as late as June 1915, wounded and convalescing in Egypt.
The last reliable report of someone who knew him was that he had been taking cover just above the beach on the morning of the landing and had not been seen since.
Alfred Henry Smith’s body was never found. His name is recorded on the Lone Pine Memorial at Gallipoli.
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