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Lieutenant Colonel
Alan George Stewart Smith, TD
Royal Engineers and Royal Signals

by
Lieutenant Colonel Edward De Santis
Ó 2018.  All Rights Reserved.

1.  INTRODUCTION  

            The principal references used in the preparation of this narrative were from a number of sources.  They include census records, official registries in the United Kingdom, medal rolls, army lists, the London Gazette and the officer’s service papers obtained from the Ministry of Defence.  All sources are contained in the REFERENCE section at the end of the narrative and are cited throughout in the ENDNOTES.  Where no source is cited for a specific entry, that information was found in the officer’s service papers.  These papers provided the majority of the details regarding his military service.  Every effort has been made to accurately portray the life and military service of Lieutenant Colonel Smith.    

2.  EARLY LIFE AND FAMILY INFORMATION  

The Grandparents of A.G.S. Stewart

            The 1871 Census of Scotland provides the following information regarding the grandparents and the father of Alan George Stewart Smith.  At the time the family was living at 30 West Maitland Street near the Haymarket in Edinburgh.  This is the first census in which Alan’s grandfather and father both appear. 

 (*) Stephen Smith would be the father of Alan George Stewart Smith.

Figure 1.  The Residence of the Thomas Smith Family at 30 West Maitland Street, Edinburgh as it Appears in 2018.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)  

NOTE: 30 West Maitland is the building with the black door just to the right of the restaurant canopy.  Essentially it is the building in which the restaurant is located.  

            The 1881 Census of Scotland provides the following information regarding the grandparents and father of Alan George Stewart Smith.  At the time the family was living at 46 Queen Street in the New Town district of Edinburgh. 

Figure 2.  The Residence of the Thomas Smith Family at 46 Queen Street, Edinburgh as it Appears in 2018.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

            Sometime between 1871 and 1881 Thomas Smith moved his family to 46 Queen Street in Edinburgh.  Isabella Swanston, the household servant in 1871 had moved on, presumably having been married.  She was replaced by 21-year old Jessie Greig.  Thomas Smith’s financial situation also seems to have improved somewhat as the house on Queen Street appears to be larger than the home on West Maitland Street.
            The 1891 Census of Scotland provides the following information regarding the grandparents and father of Alan George Stewart Smith.  At the time the family was living at 18 Moray Place in Edinburgh.   

Figure 3.  The Residence of the Thomas Smith Family at 18 Moray Place, Edinburgh as it Appears in 2018.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

            Sometime between 1881 and 1891 Thomas Smith again moved his family, this time to 18 Moray Place on the west side of the New Town district near Comely Bank in Edinburgh.  The house on Moray Place was situated in a row of elegant town homes surrounding a central park.  Jessie Grieg, the household servant in 1881 also had moved on.  She was replaced by 19-year old Annie M. Robertson.  Thomas Smith’s financial situation seems to have improved even more in the preceding 10 years as the house on Moray Place appears to be yet again larger than the house Queen Street. 

            It appears that Thomas and Catharine Smith restricted their household staff to only one domestic servant, probably for economy reasons, and that each of the young women moved on during the 10-year periods probably to get married.  Figures 1, 2 and 3 also show Thomas Smith’s willingness to move to larger and slightly more elegant homes as his economic situation improved.  His son Stephen also began working sometime between 1881 and 1891 and probably was able to add to the overall family income. 

The Parents of A.G.S. Stewart

                Stephen Smith had received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering from the University of Edinburgh in 1888.  This degree probably assisted him in obtaining a position as a hydraulic machinery maker.  In 1889 Stephen Smith was commissioned in the Royal Engineers (Volunteers).[1]  He later served as a Major and Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the City of Edinburgh Royal Engineers (Territorial Force) and as a Commander Royal Engineers in the 39^th Division during the Great War of 1914-1918.[2] 

            The City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers was a volunteer unit of the British Army under various titles from 1886. Its main role was defence of the Firth of Forth during the period in which Stephen Smith served in the unit.  Lieutenant-General Sir Andrew Clarke, Inspector-General of Fortifications from 1882 to 1886, did not have enough regular Royal Engineers (RE) to man the fixed mines being installed to defend British ports. He decided to utilize the Volunteer Engineers for this task, and after successful trials the system was rolled out to ports around the country. The Forth Division Submarine Miners was the fifth unit of Volunteer Submarine Miners, a new corps raised in 1886. The first officers’ commissions were issued on the 2^nd of April 1887 and by the end of the century the unit was commanded by a major, with three companies. Initially, the headquarters was aboard the mine depot ship HMS Dido at Leith, the port of Edinburgh, but moved to Queen Street, Edinburgh, in 1905.[3]

            Alan George Stewart Smith was born on the 2^nd of December 1895.  He first appears in the household of his father at No. 12 Murrayfield Avenue in the Murrayfield District of Edinburgh in the 1901 Census of Scotland as shown in the table below:

NOTES:

1. Stephen Smith is noted have a Bachelor of Science Degree and was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh at this time.[4]
2. Stephen appears to have inherited the Goldsmith business from his father Thomas Smith, who by 1901 was deceased.  His mother continued to live in Stephen’s household after the death of her husband.
3. Stephen and Margaret Smith were noted in the census to be members of the Church of England.

            Stephen and Margaret Smith had two more children after the 1901 census was taken.  Stewart Alexander Stephen Smith was born on the 27 of October 1901 in Edinburgh[5] and a daughter, Marjory L. Smith with born in 1903.[6]

Figure 4.  The Residence of the Stephen Smith Family at 12 Murrayfield Avenue, Edinburgh as it Appears in 2018.
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

Alan George Stewart Smith’s Early Years

            Alan entered Edinburgh Academy in January 1907, Classes 1a to 5a.[7]  He was a student of Science while at the academy and a cadet in the Officers Training Corps (Engineers).[8]  He did not participate in any sports, dramatics, musical events or other school activities,[9] apparently content to dedicate his efforts to his studies.  Unfortunately no photograph of him is available from the Edinburgh Academy as all the school’s group photographs do not show the names of the students in them.[10] 

            While Alan was studying at Edinburgh Academy his father was very active with his Volunteer military duties.  On the 31^st of March 1908 Captain and Honorary Major Stephen Smith was granted the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers[11] and on the following day he was promoted to the substantive rank of Major.  On the 17^th of August 1908 Stephen Smith was awarded the Territorial Decoration (EVIIR).[12]  The September 1908 Army List shows Stephen Smith serving with the Forth Division (Electrical Engineers), Royal Engineers (Volunteers).[13]  

            On the 20^th of February 1911, Stephen Smith was elected to the Royal Society of Edinburgh as an Ordinary Fellow.[14]  He was proposed for election by the following members in Billet 23/1, dated the 6^th of February 1911:  William Falconer King,[15] James Currie,[16] James David MacDonald[17] and Sir Thomas Hudson Beare.[18] 

            Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Smith completed his period of active service in command of the City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Royal Engineers on the 20^th of April 1912. On that date he resigned his commission and was granted to retain his rank and to wear the prescribed uniform of the Corps on appropriate occasions.[19]  He was 45 years old at the time and his total service was reckoned at 23 years.[20]  The London Gazette of the 16^th of August 1912 showed that on the 21^st of April “Major and Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Smith, Retired List, Territorial Force (late City of Edinburgh (Fortress) Engineers, Royal Engineers, to be Major, with the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel.”  Stephen Smith was not to be allowed to remain on the retired list for long, as the impending war in Europe would bring him back to active service in 1916.

            April of 1912 also was a significant year for Alan when he graduated from Edinburgh Academy and began to work as an Apprentice Engineer with Scott & Co., Greenock, Scotland.  Scott & Co. were shipbuilders.  Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company Limited, often referred to simply as Scotts, was based on the River Clyde.  The company built over 1,250 ships during the period of its existence and went out of business in 1993.  

Figure 5.  An Advertisement for Scotts Shipbuilding & Engineering Co. Ltd., c. 1922.
(Image courtesy of Wikipedia)

            During the time that Alan worked for Scotts the company was gearing up for war production.  In 1914 Scotts was specializing in war and merchant shipbuilding and marine engineering of the largest types of vessels in addition to ship repairing. The company eventually grew to have about 5,000 employees during this period. 

            Scotts’ yard already had a long history of naval work which was longer than any other Clyde yard and had already made Dreadnought battleships before the outbreak of war. The company also had been experimenting with submarine designs and this held them in good stead with the Admiralty who ordered a number of different models during the war. The yard also made high speed light cruisers, torpedo boat destroyers, three sloops and a monitor.  Alan was already contributing to the war effort while working at Scotts.

            In October of 1914, two months after the beginning of the Great War of 1914-1918, Alan George Stewart Smith passed the entrance examinations for Edinburgh University in Higher English, Mathematics and Latin.  He left Scott & Co. and entered Edinburgh University as a student of Science, passing the 1^st Year examination for a B.Sc. in Engineering.  He also was a cadet in the University’s Officer Training Corps (Engineers) as he had been when attending Edinburgh Academy. Meanwhile, his father rejoined the Colours as a Major in the Royal Engineers.  Although Stephen Smith was 47 years of age, his service was needed for the Great War, especially given his long years of experience in the Territorial Force.

3.  COMMISSIONING AND TRAINING  

            This section of the story of the life and military service of Alan George Stewart Smith actually will be a combined narrative of his service and that of his father.  Both served in the Great War; Alan until the end of the war and Stephen until the end of 1916.

            On the 4^th of April 1915 Alan George Stewart Smith was commissioned a 2^nd Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers Territorial Force.[21]  Following a short period of training,[22] made short by his participation in the Officer Training Corps (Engineers) at both the Edinburgh Academy and the University of Edinburgh, 2^nd Lieutenant Smith was posted to the 2^nd Line (Lowland) Divisional Signal Company, 65^th Division, at Tillicoultry, Scotland.  Undoubtedly due to a need to have him receive Signals training, he was almost immediately posted to the Royal Engineers Signal Service Training Centre at Dunstable in Bedfordshire.

On the 5^th of May 1915, after what must have been a short course at Dunstable, he was posted to the 1^st Lowland Division Signal Company, Royal Engineers (52^nd Division).[23]

            On the 1^st of December 1915 Alan was appointed a Temporary Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers while his unit was at Bridge of Alan, Stirlingshire.[24]  During the early months of 1916 he continued his Signals training and other military training by participating in the following course of instruction:

·         Visual and Cable Signals Course at the Royal Engineers Signals Service Training Centre at Bigglewade in Bedfordshire.

·         The Irish Command Anti-Gas School Course in Dublin.

·         The Royal Engineers Officers Mounted Duties Course at Aldershot in Hampshire.

            On the 11^th of March of 1916, while Alan was receiving this training, his father was appointed the Commander Royal Engineers (C.R.E.) of the 39^th Division.  At that time the 39^th Division was concentrated at Blaringhem, France, but Stephen Smith was in the U.K. at the time of his appointment.

4.  ASSIGNMENTS AND CAMPAIGN SERVICE

            By the 29^th of March 1916 Lieutenant Smith was serving as the Second-in-Command of the 65^th (Lowland) Divisional Signal Company at Chelmsford, Essex, the company to which he had originally been assigned right after he was commissioned.  However, he was not to remain with this unit for very long.  On the 29^th of May 1916 he went to France to join the 35^th Divisional Signal Company[25] and on the 1^st of June he was promoted to the substantive rank of Lieutenant.[26]  On joining the company he probably was given command of a Section, a typical detachment of which is shown in Figure 5a.  The officer in the photograph is not Lieutenant Smith.

Figure 6.  An Officer, Non-Commissioned Officers and Other Ranks of an R.E. Signal Section in France during the Great War of 1914-1918.
(Photograph from a postcard in the author’s collection)

 The 35^th Division on the Somme, 1916 

            The 35^th Divisional Signal Company took part in the Battle of the Somme at Albert from the 1^st to the 13^th of July 1916.  The Battle of the Somme, also known as the Somme Offensive, was a battle on both sides of the upper reaches of the River Somme in France. The battle was intended to hasten a victory for the Allies and was the largest battle of the Great War on the Western Front. More than three million men fought in this battle and one million men were wounded or killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in human history.  During this horrendous battle Lieutenant Smith and his company provided communications support to the 104^th, 105^th and 106^th Infantry Brigades and to the division’s Royal Artillery units and Division Troops.  The company then took part in the Battle of Bazentin Ridge between the 14^th and 17^th of July 1916.  The British Fourth Army under General Henry Rawlinson) made a dawn attack on 14 July, against the German 2nd Army in the Braune Stellung from Delville Wood westwards to Bazentin le Petit Wood.

Figure 7.  Map of the Battle of the Somme, 1916.
(Map courtesy of Wikipedia)  

            During the entire war the 35^th Divisional Signal Company lost a total of 13 men.  During the period that Lieutenant Smith was with the company they did not lose a single man.  See casualty details for this company in Appendix 1.

            Lieutenant Smith left France for home on 15^th of August 1916.  No reason is given in his service papers for this move.  There is no indication that he had been wounded on the Somme, so perhaps his return to the U.K. was for a period of leave.  However, he was not to return to France until 1918 as he remained in England for the remainder of 1916 and all of 1917.  This long period in the U.K. was spent by him attending Signals training courses apparently in an effort to qualify him as an instructor.

            On the 9^th of September 1916 Alan’s father, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Smith, R.E. left England for France to assume his duties as the Commander Royal Engineers of the 39^th Division.[27]  The engineer units under his command in the division consisted of the following companies:

Thiepval, Ancre Heights and Ancre, 1916[28]

            Lieutenant Colonel Smith arrived in the division just in time for the Battle of Thiepval, which took place between the 26^th and 28^th of September 1916.   The Battle of Thiepval Ridge was the first large offensive mounted by the Reserve Army under (Lieutenant General Hubert Gough), during the Battle of the Somme.  The attack was intended to benefit from the Fourth Army attack in the Battle of Morval, by starting 24 hours afterwards.  The battle was fought on a front from Courcelette in the east, near the Albert–Bapaume road to Thiepval and the Schwaben Redoubt in the west, which overlooked the German defences further north in the Ancre valley, the rising ground towards Beaumont-Hamel and Serre beyond. Thiepval Ridge was well fortified and the German defenders fought with great determination, while the British coordination of infantry and artillery declined after the first day, due to the confused nature of the fighting in the mazes of trenches, dugouts and shell-craters. The final British objectives were not reached until a reorganization of the Reserve Army and the Battle of the Ancre Heights.

            Lieutenant Colonel Smith also was present with the 39^th Division during the Battle of Ancre Heights (1 October to 11 November 1916) and the Battle of Ancre (13 to 18 November 1916).  The Battle of the Ancre Heights is the name given to the continuation of British attacks after the Battle of Thiepval Ridge from the 26^th to the 28^th of September during the Battle of the Somme (See Figure 6 above). The battle also was conducted by the Reserve Army (renamed Fifth Army on the 29^th of October) from Courcelette near the Albert–Bapaume road, west to Thiepval on Bazentin Ridge.  British possession of the heights would deprive the German 1st Army of observation towards Albert to the southwest and give the British observation north over the Ancre valley to the German positions around Beaumont Hamel, Serre and Beaucourt.  The Reserve Army conducted large attacks on the 1st, 8th, 21^st and the 25^th of October and from the 10^th to the 11^th of November.

            Many smaller attacks were made in the intervening periods, amid interruptions caused by frequent heavy rain, which turned the ground and roads into rivers of mud and grounded aircraft. The weather conditions put a great strain on the resources of the Royal Engineers field companies of the 39^th Division and surely put a lot of pressure on Lieutenant Colonel Smith.  German forces in footholds on the ridge, at the east end of Staufen Riegel (Regina Trench) and in the remaining parts of Schwaben-Feste (Schwaben Redoubt) to the north and Stuff Redoubt (Staufen-Feste) northeast of Thiepval, fought a costly defensive battle with numerous counter-attacks and attacks, which delayed the British capture of the heights for more than a month.

            Stuff Redoubt fell on the 9^th of October and the last German position in Schwaben Redoubt fell on the 14^th of October, exposing the positions of the German 28th Reserve Division in the Ancre valley to British ground observation. A German retreat from the salient that had formed around St. Pierre Divion and Beaumont Hamel either side of the Ancre, was considered by Generalquartiermeister Erich Ludendorff and the new army group commander Field Marshal Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria and was rejected, due to the lack of better defensive positions further back, in favor of counter-attacks desired by General Fritz von Below the 1st Army commander. General Max von Gallwitz the 2nd Army commander, noted in early October that so many of his units had been moved to the 1st Army north of the Somme, that he had only one fresh regiment in reserve.

The 39^th Division at Ancre Heights (1 October – 11 November 1916)[29]

            The 39^th Division and the division engineers played a prominent part in the actions described above.  To be ready for the big attack intended for the 12^th of October, Gough began to concentrate more troops in the area north of the Ancre.  The engineers certainly were required to prepare trenches for this troop concentration.  In early October the north bank of the River Ancre was held by the 39th Division under the control of V Corps up to the boundary with the Third Army at Hébuterne. On the 1^st of October the 2nd Division was moved in on the left of the 39th Division to hold the ground from Redan Ridge to the army boundary. On the 4^th of October the XIII Corps headquarters was brought out of reserve to control 1,500 yards of the front line up to the junction with the Third Army and the 2nd Division was relieved on the left by the 51st Division.  The 39th Division was transferred to the command of II Corps on the 2^nd of October and then took over the area south of the Ancre on the 5^th of October by extending its right boundary to relieve the 18th Division at Thiepval. By the 7^th of October XIII Corps had the 51st and 19th Divisions in line and on the 8^th of October V Corps relieved the 2nd Division with the 3rd and 63rd divisions. Gough issued instructions for the attack on the north bank from the 4^th to the 12^th of October and arranged for the 1st and 3rd Cavalry divisions to move close to the front line. The artillery of V Corps and XIII Corps steadily bombarded the German defences on the south bank where II Corps operations against Staufen Riegel (Regina Trench to the Canadians at the east end and Stuff Trench to the British at the western end, north of Thiepval) and conducted a simulated offensive with artillery bombardments, wire-cutting and smoke screens.

            The final objective (third line) of the British offensive was set at Beaucourt–the Puisieux road valley–second line. The British II Corps with the 4th Canadian, 18th, 19th and 39th Divisions was to advance from Stuff trench and Schwaben Redoubt to the Hansa line to force the Germans out of their defences, from Schwaben Redoubt–St Pierre Divion, as far back as Beaucourt, securing the road bridges by Beaucourt station and Beaucourt mill by 7:25 a.m. 

            The 39th Division attacked to the west of the 19th Division, with the 118th Brigade on its right flank. The brigade formed up on tapes laid without the German sentries noticing and one battalion advanced north about 1,100 yards to the Hansa line by 7:30 a.m., while three battalions attacked north-west to Mill Trench and then reached the station crossing and Beaucourt Mill by 10:00 a.m, the other two battalions got lost in the fog. At 6:15 a.m. the 117th Brigade attacked from Mill Road up the Ancre valley next to the river with one battalion and achieved surprise, despite a special barrage from twelve 18-pounders. The battalion cleared dugouts in the side of the river bank and along the top and then met some of the troops of 118th Brigade who were lost and joined with them to attack St Pierre Divion, which was captured around 7:40 a.m. Three tanks were to advance from Thiepval to assist but one was bogged on the drive to the village, the second broke down and the third reached the German front line at 7:00 a.m. then fell into a dug-out where it was attacked by the Germans. A messenger pigeon was sent by the tank crew for help but infantry arrived at 9:00 a.m. and the Germans withdrew.

            In II Corps, the 19th Division raided Stump Road and Lucky Way and began the relief of the 39th Division by extending its front to the Ancre, which was completed in the early hours of the 15^th of November. In V Corps the 63rd Division continued an attack on Beaucourt Trench at 6:20 a.m. advancing from Station Road and losing direction in the mist. Some troops got to within 200 yards of Beaucourt Trench and waited for the attack due at 7:45 a.m. The 190th Brigade advanced on time, linked with the troops near the objective and entered Beaucourt, taking 500 prisoners and digging in around the eastern outskirts. Beaucourt Trench was captured on the left and troops began to bomb down it towards Leave Avenue but no troops of the 51st Division were found. Two tanks were sent forward to help mop up German troops holding out in the front line, one bogged but the other helped take The Strongpoint, where 400 Germans surrendered. Dugouts towards Station Road yielded another 200 prisoners. At 1:00 p.m. German troops were seen massing near Baillescourt Farm and dispersed by artillery; the captured ground was consolidated overnight.  On the 15^th of November, the 39th Division completed the capture of Schwaben Redoubt.

            Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Smith was with the 39^th Division through all of the actions described above and was invalided home in December of 1916.  He may have been wounded during the final phases of the Battle of Ancre, although this has not been verified.  He was 49 years old when he was sent home, so his release from duty with the 39^th Division may well have been because of his age or from exhaustion resulting from participation in the battles in which the division had been almost constantly engaged between the 26^th of September and the 18^th of November 1916, all battles part of the follow-on operations of the Somme offensive.  On his return home, Stephen Smith was posted as the C.R.E. of the Merseyside Garrison, a position he held until May of 1919.  Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Smith retired from the Army in July of 1919.  He applied for his Great War medals on the 30^th of April 1920 and he received the medals on the 19^th of May 1920.

            His Medal Index Card shows that Lieutenant Colonel Smith was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal for his service and that he served in France, entering that theatre of war for the first time on the 9^th of September 1916 as previously stated.  The reverse side of the card shows that the medals were sent to him at 31 Grange Loan in Edinburgh.  

Figure 8.  The Medal Index Card of Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Smith, R.E. (front).
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)

                        During the period that Lieutenant Colonel Smith served in the 39^th Division in France (9 September - ? December 1916), the 39^th Divisional engineers lost 6 Other Ranks.  No officers were lost by any of the companies during the entire war.  The following is the list of casualties suffered by the companies (by unit and in chronological order):

NOTES:

(1)   Total losses during the war: 36.

(2)   Total losses during the war: 31.

(3)   Total losses during the war: 36.

(4)   The 39^th Divisional Signal Company lost 19 Other Ranks during the war but none during the period that Lieutenant Colonel Smith was C.R.E.

(5)   Where the cause of death is shown as “Died” the man was accidentally killed or he died of disease.

(6)   Most losses were suffered during the Battle of Ancre Heights.

(7)   Details of all the Royal Engineers casualties of the 39^th Division may be found in Appendix 2.

            During 1917 Lieutenant Smith attended the Irish Command course of instruction for Signal Officers and Messing in Dublin.  On the 18^th of May 1917 he was mentioned in the despatches of Sir Douglas Haig, dated the 9^th of April 1917, and published in the London Gazette, Volume 30077, page 4878.  This Mention in Despatches will be discussed further in Section 7 of this narrative.

            Early in 1918 Lieutenant Smith returned to the Royal Engineers Signal Service Training Centre at Bedford to attend a refresher course.  On the 15^th of March 1918 he was posted as a Signals instructor in “B” Depot at Bedford[30] where he remained for about a month and a half before returning to France on the 3^rd of May 1918.  On the 9^th of May he joined the 2^nd Division, presumably the 2^nd Divisional Signal Company.  He did not remain long with the 2^nd Division, as he was posted to the VI Corps Signal School as an instructor on the 16^th of June.  On the 29^th of July he was posted back to the 2^nd Division as the Officer Commanding the division’s signal school.

            On the 19^th of August 1918 Lieutenant Smith was posted to XVII Corps Signal Section and on the 1^st of November he joined the 2^nd Brigade, Royal Field Artillery with the 6^th Division as the brigade’s O.C. Signals.  He remained in this assignment until Armistice Day on the 11^th of November.  He was again mentioned in despatches in the London Gazette, Volume 31080, page 15039.  More about this M.I.D. will be discussed in Section 7 below.

            Lieutenant Smith’s service papers indicate that he returned home on the 11^th of November 1918.  However, the University of Edinburgh Roll of Honour indicates that he returned home in 1919.  It was unusual for any officer to return home precisely on Armistice Day; therefore, the entry in his service record is questionable.  One date is known for certain; he was demobilized on the 25^th of January 1919.

Post Great War Service (1919-1925)

            Lieutenant Alan George Stewart Smith rejoined the Royal Engineers on the 11^th of September 1919 at Bedford.  On the 6^th of October 1919 he was posted to Dublin as the Officer Commanding Signals in the Dublin District.  On the 4^th of June 1920 he was posted to Belfast as the Officer Commanding Signals in that district and on the 21^st of October 1920 he was seconded to the 52^nd Lowland Division Signals.

            With all of his time in the Army serving with the Royal Engineers Signal Service, it was to be expected that he would transfer to the Royal Corps of Signals when that corps was formed from the Royal Engineers.  This he did in Ireland on the 12^th of January 1921.[31] 

            The Corps of Signals was formed on the 28th June 1920 when a Royal Warrant was signed by the Secretary of State for War, the Right Honourable Winston S Churchill, who gave the sovereign’s approval for the formation of a ‘Corps of Signals’. Six weeks later, on the 5th August 1920 His Majesty the King conferred the title ‘Royal Corps of Signals’.  During this period the Army surely was searching for well qualified officers to form this new corps.  Lieutenant Smith, with his war service and all the schooling and training that he had received, probably was a prime candidate to be recalled to the Colours to assist in forming this corps; hence, his rejoining in September of 1919 and his immediate posting as an O.C. of a Signals District in Ireland.

            In April of 1921 Lieutenant Smith was serving with the 52^nd Lowland Division Signals with headquarters at 21 Jardine Street in Glasgow, Scotland (see Figure 7 below) while still on secondment from Belfast District where he was the Adjutant of the Signals detachment in that district.[32] 

Figure 9.  21 Jardine Street, Glasgow (still an Army Reserve Center).
(Image courtesy of Google Earth)

            On the 1^st of March 1922 Smith was promoted to the rank of Captain (Provisional) while still serving with the 52^nd Lowland Division.[33]  He now was listed officially as a member of the Territorial Army Reserve (T.A.R.).[34]  Soon after his promotion he was posted back to Northern Ireland where he joined the 2^nd Dublin Signal Company.   During this time period Smith listed his residence as 31 Grange Loan, Edinburgh.  This was probably his father’s family address and one that Alan used as a permanent address.[35]

            On the 5^th of August 1922 Alan Smith was appointed a Captain in the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers (T.A.R.O.).  His name appears in the London Gazette of the 4^th of August 1922 on the T.A. Reserve Regimental List, Royal Signals, from the 52^nd Division Signals.  The London Gazette of the 15^th of September 1922 next shows him on the T.A. Regimental List, Class 1, 52^nd (Lowland) Division Signals “To be Captain from the Active List (substitute for L.G. 4 August 1922) with seniority dated 1 June 1916.”  These multiple listings in the London Gazette and transfers from one category to another are enough to make one’s head spin.  This last entry is interesting because it provides him with a date of rank as a Captain of the 1^st of June 1916; that is, backdating his promotion by some 6 years.  One wonders if he ever received any back pay.

            On the 4^th of April 1923 Alan Smith was released from service with the Regular Army and was posted to the Reserve of Officers with the rank of Captain.  He was released from the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers during May of 1923[36] and began to work as the Assistant Manager of the Radio Communications Company in Glasgow.[37] 

Civilian Interlude (1925-1935)

            In 1925 Alan Smith left the Radio Communications Company and took a position as the Wireless Manager with the General Electric Company.  He left General Electric in 1927 and went to work for the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) in the company’s Operations Division.  During 1932 and 1933 he was residing with his wife, Mrs. Katharine M. Smith, at 64 Archerhill Road in Glasgow.[38]  From 1937 to 1940 he worked as the Senior Maintenance Engineer for BBC North Region.  

Figure 10.  The Smith Residence at 64 Archerhill Road in Glasgow, Scotland.
(64 Archerhill Road is the end unit on the left)
(Photograph courtesy of Google Earth)  

            In 1935 the Smiths were living as tenants at 15 Sydney Terrace in Edinburgh.[39]  

 Figure 11.  The Smith Residence at 15 Sydney Terrace in Edinburgh, Scotland.
(15 Sydney Terrace is the house on the left with the white door.
(Photograph courtesy of Google Earth)

Service in the Second World War (1935-1945)

            On the 2^nd of December 1935 while working for the British Broadcasting Company, Alan Smith was transferred to the Class 2 Territorial Army Reserve.  This transfer did not in any way affect his civilian status.  The 1939 Army List shows him as a Captain in the Reserve of Officers, Royal Corps of Signals and his residence during that year was 4 Queens Road, Cheadle and Gatley, Cheshire.[40]  

            With war looming on the horizon, he was soon to be plucked from his civilian occupation and put back into uniform.  This occurred on the 28^th of February 1940 when he was appointed from the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers and posted to the 2^nd General Trades Battalion at the 2^nd Signals Training Center at Prestatyn in Denbighshire, Wales.  He joined the unit on this same date.[41]  He was immediately granted Signal Pay at the highest rate under Article 385d of the Pay Warrant of 1940.  This is not surprising considering his Great War service, all the Signals training he had received while in the Army and the experience he had gained working for the BBC. 

            On the 18^th of March 1940 Captain Smith embarked for the British Expeditionary Force in France.  His service papers indicate that he was performing draft conducting duties at this time.  The duty of a Draft Conducting Officer was to command groups of replacements heading to France to ensure that they got to where they were supposed to go.  This procedure appears to have been based on the idea (quaint to modern eyes) that a soldier or soldiers could not be trusted to get from point A to point B without being escorted by an officer.  Clearly, the Army believed this duty sufficiently necessary to tie up scarce resources such as reserve officers.  The question of campaign medal eligibility for Draft Conducting Officers is unclear, as it was difficult to determine for how long or how many times an officer had been in a war zone or in an area or at sea under hazardous conditions due to potential enemy action.  While it is not known how many times Captain Smith might have crossed over to France and then returned to England to conduct another group of soldiers, these duties certainly must have ended on or before the 26^th of May 1940 when the evacuation of Dunkirk began.

            On the 11^th of October 1941 Captain Smith was posted to the 2^nd Holding Battalion at Rhos-on-Sea, Wales.  Once it was determined what his more permanent assignment would be, he was appointed Chief Instructor with the rank of Acting Major in the 2^nd Signals Training Center at Prestatyn where he had been in early 1940.  He held this position until the 15^th of June 1942 when he was again posted to the 2^nd General Trades Training Battalion at Prestatyn followed almost a year later by assignment to the 2^nd Army Detachment on the 17^th of May 1943.  This detachment also was located at Prestatyn.

            On the 27^th of July 1943 Acting Major Smith attended No. 36 Royal Signals Senior Officer Course at Catterick in North Yorkshire.  He successfully completed the course on the 18^th of August 1943 and returned to Prestatyn, to the South Wales District Signals office.  He retained the rank of Temporary Major while in this assignment.  On the 25^th of October 1943 he again was made Chief Instructor at the 2^nd Signals Training Center.

            Major Smith moved to Abergavenny in Monmouthshire, Wales on the 1^st of December 1943 where he was posted to “V” Headquarters Signals and on the 19^th of December he assumed the position as Second-in-Command of this unit in London.  On the 17^th of February 1944 this unit was redesignated 5 Headquarters Signals.  According to Lord and Watson (2003, p. 245) 5 Headquarters Signals formed part of CRS, SHAEF.  Listings of military abbreviations show CRS to mean Chief Review Services.  SHAEF, of course, means Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force.  Precisely what kind of duties were being performed by Smith at this time is not known; however, it appears that in some way he was attached to General Eisenhower’s headquarters.  This became more apparent when on the 2^nd of March 1944 his service papers indicated that he was serving as G.S.O.1 (Wireless) to the Supreme Commander at SHAEF and that he had been appointed an Acting Lieutenant Colonel.  Indeed, he had reached a rather lofty position in the command structure of the Allied forces.

            On the 2^nd of June 1944, four days before D-Day, Alan Smith was appointed to the rank of Temporary Lieutenant Colonel.  It does not appear that he took part in the Normandy landings, as his records show that he flew to North West Europe on the 27^th of September 1944.  He remained there until the 1^st of July 1945 when he returned to England.  No explanation is provided in his service papers to indicate what he might have been doing in North West Europe during the 276 days that he was there.  The following is a short summary of the campaign in North West Europe that provides an overview of what was happening there during the period that Lieutenant Colonel Smith was there:-

            Following the Normandy Campaign, Field Marshal Montgomery's forces captured Antwerp (4 September 1944) and crossed the Albert Canal. The US First Army captured Namur and Aachen, while the US Third Army moved east and reached the Moselle. Montgomery's attempt to seize the lower Rhine by dropping the 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem ended in failure – “A Bridge Too Far.”  In November the Germans consolidated and in December they launched a counter-attack in the Ardennes known as the Battle of the Bulge. In January 1945 Montgomery's forces pushed forward to the Rhine. In March a massive bombardment at Wesel preceded a successful crossing of the lower Rhine by Montgomery's troops. The US Seventh Army pushed east towards Munich, French forces moved up the upper Rhine to Lake Constance, and the US Third Army advanced to Leipzig and across the Austrian border into Czechoslovakia. On the 11^th of April Montgomery reached the River Elbe. Following the capture of Berlin by the Red Army and the suicide of Hitler (30 April 1945), Montgomery received the surrender of the German forces in northwest Europe on Lüneburg Heath on the 4^th of May 1945.  Four days later (V-E Day), the war in Europe was declared at an end.[42]

            On the 21^st of August 1945 Lieutenant Colonel Alan George Stewart Smith, Royal Corps of Signals was released from active service from the London District Reception Depot.  His service papers indicate that he was classified in Age and Service Group 1 and that his Military Dispersal Unit was No. 7 at Ashton-Under-Lyne.  Smith indicated that his permanent address was to be 6 Bancroft Avenue, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Cheshire.

Figure 12.  The Smith Residence at 6 Bancroft Avenue, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Cheshire.
 (Photograph courtesy of Google Earth).

            Sections 1 through 4 of this work present the life and military service of Alan George Stewart Smith (and his father Stephen Smith) in a narrative form.  The remaining sections provide summaries of significant events in his life.

5.  PROMOTIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS

Promotions and Appointments:  Alan George Stewart Smith received the following promotions and appointments during his time in service:

 Assignments:   Alan George Stewart Smith received the following assignments during his time in service:  

6. MILITARY TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

Military Training:  Alan George Stewart Smith received the following military training during his time in service:

Qualifications:  Alan George Stewart Smith earned the following qualifications during his time in service.  

 7.  MEDALS, AWARDS AND DECORATIONS  

            Lieutenant Colonel Alan George Stewart Smith received the medals and citations shown in the table below during his time in service.  Although the British War Medal and the Victory Medal were the only two medals originally obtained by the author, Smith’s entitlements to the other medals listed are explained in detail below, based on information contained in his service papers.

NOTES:

 His Great War medals do not include the letters R.E. to indicate that he received them for service in the Royal Engineers.

Figure 13.  Medal Index Card of Lieutenant A.G.S. Smith (front).
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)  

            His Medal Index Card shows him as a Lieutenant in the Royal Corps of Signals with war service denoted by the X with 4 dots, shown to the right of the abbreviation Lieut.  However, the entries authorizing the two medals indicate that he was serving in the Royal Engineers (R.E.) when he earned the medals and that the authorization for their award is contained in a Royal Engineers medal Roll.  The card also indicates that the theatre of war in which he first served was France (which is correct) and that he went to France on 12-5-18 (which is incorrect).  His service papers show that he first went to France on 29-5-1916 and after quite some time in the U.K. he returned to France on 3-5-1918.  None of these dates coincide.

            The card also indicates that he received his medals on the 27^th of March 1922 (See 27 3/22 in the lower left-hand corner of the card).  The back side of the card contains a note indicating that the Officer Commanding 2 Dublin Signal Company had sent a request for the issue of the medals on the 16^th of February 1922.  Smith’s address also is shown on the back of the card as 31 Grange Loan, Edinburgh, the address thought to be that of his father.

(2)   The Royal Engineers Medal Roll for these two medals was published on the 26^th of April 1922 also verifying their award to Smith while he was serving in the Royal Engineers.  Four other officers’ names appear on the same page with that of Smith and they are:

Lieutenant A.C. Richardson

Lieutenant D.K. Shepherd

Lieutenant H.E. Storey

Lieutenant E.H.J. Hanmer

            Oddly, no Medal Index Cards can be found for any of these officers for service during the Great War, and Smith’s card appears to have been produced after the war showing him serving in the Royal Corps of Signals.

(3)   Mention in Despatches (MID).  Smith’s Victory medal was purchased by the author with a mention in Despatches oak leaf attached to the medal ribbon.  Numerous searches in the London Gazette did not uncover any MIDs for an officer named Alan George Stewart Smith or A.G.S. Smith.  However, MID index cards and London Gazette entries were found for a Lieutenant A.G. Smith, Royal Engineers.  The first London Gazette entry was dated the 18^th of May 1917, Volume 30077, page 4878 indicating that Lieutenant A.G. Smith had been mentioned in the despatches of Sir Douglas Haig dated the 9^th of April 1917.  Two MID index cards were found for this entry both showing the officers to be in the Royal Engineers.

Figure 14.  Mention in Despatches Index Cards for Temporary Lieutenant A.G. Smith, dated 18-5-17, London Gazette Volume 30077, page 4878.
(Images courtesy of Ancestry.com)  

            While this Mention in Despatches may be for Temporary Lieutenant Alan George Stewart Smith, one would have to assume that his middle initial “S” was erroneously omitted from both the cards and the London Gazette entry.  This assumption may be valid when one considers that the “S” for Stewart might have been thought to be extraneous since it appears just before the “S” in Smith, or as sometimes the case, including all of an individual’s middle initials was considered to be unnecessary by clerical personnel making the entries on the documents.  However, the date of Haig’s MID may rule out the validity of this assumption.  Haig’s despatch was written on the 9^th of April 1917.  A.G.S. Smith had been involved in operations during the Battle of the Somme, but he had left France in August of 1916 and had been at home for about 8 months before Haig wrote the despatch.  Based on the date of the despatch it seems unlikely that the A.G. Smith in the despatch could be A.G.S. Smith, however, the fact that both served in the Royal Engineer also makes coincidence unlikely.  Furthermore, Army Lists for the period do not show a Lieutenant A.G. Smith serving in the Royal Engineers during this period.

            The next London Gazette entry of interest is Volume 31080, page 15039 dated the 23^rd of December 1918.  Lieutenant A.G.S. Smith had been in France since the 3^rd of May 1918, so the timing of this entry could relate to his service.  An MID index card also was found for this entry.

Figure 15.  Mention in Despatches Index Cards for Temporary Lieutenant A.G. Smith, R.E. dated 23-12-18, London Gazette page 15039 (no Volume given).
(Image courtesy of Ancestry.com)  

            Again the same reasoning detailed above may apply to this MID; that is, the erroneous “S” and the fact that no other man by the name of A.G. Smith was serving in the Royal Engineers at the time.  Additionally, the timing of this MID and Smith’s service in France in 1918 makes it more plausible.  It is the author’s opinion that Temporary Lieutenant Alan George Smith, R.E. is the same Temporary Lieutenant A.G. Smith, R.E. and that he actually received two mentions in despatches for his service during the Great War of 1914-1918.

World War 2 Medals

            Since the World War 2 medals were issued unnamed, apparently they became separated from his Great War medals, perhaps sometime after his death.  Smith’s service papers do not show any of his entitlements to medals for World War 2, however, based on his service during the war he is entitled to the four medals listed in the table above.  The following information is presented in order to validate the addition of the four WW2 medals to his medal group. 

(4)   The 1939–1945 Star was awarded for specified periods of operational service overseas between 3 September 1939 and either 8 May 1945 in Europe or 2 September 1945 in the Far East theatre. The broad criteria were 180 days of service between these dates, with more specific criteria depending on service arm.   Army personnel had to complete 180 days of service in an operational command.  Smith served for 277 days in an operational command in North West Europe from the 27^th of September 1944 to the 30^th of June 1945, of which 241 days were served prior to the end of the war, thereby making him eligible to receive this medal.

(5)     The France and Germany Star was awarded for entry into operational service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland and Germany between 6 June 1944 and 8 May 1945 inclusive.  Again, Smith went to North West Europe on the 27^th of September 1944 and remained there until the 30^th of June 1945, thereby making him eligible for this medal.

(6)   The Defence Medal was awarded for non-operational service in the Armed Forces  during the period from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945.   In the United Kingdom, those eligible included military personnel working in headquarters, on training bases and airfields for the duration of the War in Europe from 3 September 1939 to 8 May 1945.  Those who qualified for one or more campaign stars could also be awarded the Defence Medal.  Smith served for 4 years and 131 days in non-operational areas during the war, thereby qualifying him for this medal.

(7)    The qualification requirement for the award of the War Medal 1939–1945 to full-time military personnel was 28 days of service during the war, wherever the service was rendered.  Smith’s service during the war of 5 years and 122 days obviously makes him eligible for this medal.

(8)   The Territorial Decoration (TD) was a military medal of the United Kingdom awarded for long service in the Territorial Force and its successor, the Territorial Army.  A recipient of this award is entitled to the letters "TD" after their name (post-nominal).  The criterion was for a minimum of 20 years service in the Territorial Force and Territorial Army, with war service counting double and service in the ranks counting half.   In 1930 the new Efficiency Decoration was introduced to be awarded to all three services, but when the ED was awarded to a Territorial Army officer it continued to be known as the Territorial Decoration and the recipients still used the letters TD after their name.  By the 27^th of February 1940 Smith had served a total of 20 years and 137 days in the Territorial Force and Territorial Army, thereby making him eligible for this medal.  The medal that he received would have been the Efficiency Medal (King George VI).  The reverse of Smith’s medal probably would have been engraved with the date 1940.  This medal also had been separated from Smith’s Great War pair before the pair was purchased by the author.

Figure 16.  The Medals of Lieutenant Colonel A.G.S. Smith, Royal Corps of Signals.[43]
(Photograph from the author's collection)

The medals shown above are from left to right: British War Medal, Victory Medal with Mention in Despatches oak leaf, 1939-45 Star, France and Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal and George VI Territorial Decoration.

NOTE:  The King George VI Territorial Decoration marked “SPECIMEN” at the right of the group is a replica medal (that is, not authentic).[44]  

8.  MARRIAGE AND PERSONAL INFORMATION  

            Alan George Stewart Smith married and had at least one child, a son named Stephen James Stewart Smith.  His wife’s name was Catherine M. Smith (maiden name unknown).  Catherine was born on the 15^th of May 1902.            [45]  Since Smith is such a common name, and with only her given name and middle initial, it was virtually impossible to obtain reliable additional information about her.  The date of their marriage could not be definitively pinned down through available research sources, nor could her date of death be determined.

            While the Smith’s son had three given names, no definitive information could be found regarding his date of birth or any other personal information.  His full name is only known because it appears on his father’s death certificate.   

9.  RELEASE FROM SERVICE  

            Lieutenant Colonel Alan George Stewart Smith was released from service after the Second World War on the 24^th of April 1948.  His total service was reckoned as shown in the tables below:

 10.  POST SERVICE LIFE  

            After leaving the Army in August of 1945, Alan Smith rejoined the British Broadcasting Company.  He was still a member of the Territorial Army Reserve of Officers at this time, but having exceeded the age limit for continued service he relinquished his commission on the 24^th of April 1948 and was granted the Honorary Rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  His service papers show that his Personal Number was 2342 and his Serial Number was 593071.[46]

            Alan’s father, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Smith, R.E. died on the 15^th of February 1950 at the age of 83.  No additional information could be found regarding Alan’s two sisters, Katherine S. (1893 - ?) or Marjory L. (1903 - ?).  Other than his attendance at Edinburgh Academy, no additional information could be found on his brother, Stewart Alexander Stephen Smith (1901 - ?).

            In 1952 Alan retired from the BBC as the Head of Administration, North Region.  The first BBC North Region operation was a large region, based in Manchester and covering the areas now served by BBC North West, BBC North East and Cumbria, BBC Yorkshire and BBC Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Regional radio broadcasting was largely based at a leased studio complex above a bank known as 'Old Broadcasting House' at Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre. These studios became the base for radio output from the region in 1929.  Given the size of BBC North Region when Alan Smith worked there, his responsibilities covered a very large geographical area.

            Alan George Stewart Smith died on the 11^th of December 1978 at 8 Beauvale, Newthorpe, Nottinghamshire.  His death was caused by a hemorrhage from a ruptured aortic aneurysm.  His son, Stephen James Stewart Smith, was the informant of his death.  His death certificate showed his occupation as a “Broadcasting Executive (Retired).”  Smith’s death was certified by C.A. Mack, the Coroner for Nottingham District, County of Nottinghamshire after a post mortem without inquest.[47]  

            Alan Smith’s will was probated in Nottingham on the 23^rd of February 1979 with his effects amounting to £17,531 ($116,293.53 in 2018 US dollars).  The probate register gives no indication of the distribution of his effects.

APPENDIX 1.
35th Division Signal Company Casualties

APPENDIX 2.
39th Division Signal Company Casualties

APPENDIX 2.
225th Field Company Casualties

APPENDIX 2.
227th Field Company Casualties

APPENDIX 2.
234th Field Company Casualties

EFERENCES

 Army Lists

1.      Army List, November 1917.

2.    2. Army List, November 1918.

3.      3. Army List, January 1921.

4.      4. Army List, April 1921.

5.   Army List, July 1922.

6.      6. Army List, 1939.  

Books  

1.      1. LORD, C. and WATSON, G.  The Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the Corps (1920-2001) and Its Antecedents.  Helion and Company, Solihul, West Midlands, 2003, p. 245.

2.     2. Edinburgh Academy Register, 1824-1914.  Edinburgh Academical Club, Edinburgh, 1914.

3.      3. War Supplement to the Edinburgh Academy Register, 1824-1914, Edinburgh Academical Club, 1921.

4.      4. University of Edinburgh Roll of Honour, 1914-1919.  Oliver and Boyd, London, 1921.  

Census Data  

1.      1. 1871 Census of Scotland.

2.      2. 1881 Census of Scotland.

3.      3. 1891 Census of Scotland.

4.      4. 1901 Census of Scotland.

5.      5. 1939 England and Wales Register.

Correspondence  

Email dated 7 February 2018 from the Archivist, The Edinburgh Academy.  Details from a letter sent to the Academy by Smith in 1973.

Documents  

Certified Copy of an Entry of Death, General Register Office, QBDAA 839022, dated the 15^th of February 2018.

Internet Web Sites

1. Royal Society of Edinburgh

https://www.rse.org.uk/fellows/past-fellows/  

2. City of Edinburgh (Fortress), Royal Engineers

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_of_Edinburgh_(Fortress)_Royal_Engineers  

3.      The Royal Society of Edinburgh, Past Fellows

https://www.rse.org.uk/fellows/past-fellows/  

4.      Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotts_Shipbuilding_and_Engineering_Company

5. Battle of Thiepval Ridge

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thiepval_Ridge  

6. Battle of Ancre Heights

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Ancre_Heights  

7.      Oxford Reference.  North-West Europe campaign

http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/oi/authority.20110803100239604  

8. British Army World War 1 Medals Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920

https://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1262&enc=1  

Edinburgh and London Gazettes  

1.      1. Edinburgh Gazette, May 18, 1909, p. 537.

2.      London Gazette, September 8, 1908, p. 6530.

3.      3. London Gazette, May 4, 1909.

4.     4. London Gazette, 19 April 1912, p. 2793.

5.     5. London Gazette, 16 August 1912.

6.      6. London Gazette, 4 May 1915.

7.     7. London Gazette, 16 May 1922.

8.      8. London Gazette, 4 August 1922.

9.     9. London Gazette, 15 September 1922.

10.  Army List, April 1923.

Medal Index Cards (See Internet Web Sites)  

1.      Medal Index Card of Stephen Smith.

2.      Medal Index Card of Alan George Stewart Smith.

Medal Rolls

The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls; Class: WO 329; Piece Number: 2174.  

Periodicals  

INSTITUTION OF ROYAL ENGINEERS.  Battle Honours of the Royal Engineers.  The Royal Engineers Journal, Institution of Royal Engineers, Chatham, Kent, 1925-1932.  

Registers  

1. Electoral Rolls, Glasgow, 1932 and 1933.

2.      Valuation Roll, ScotlandsPeople.gov.uk

3.      Probate Register, 1979, p. 7648.  

Service Papers  

1.      1. Service Papers, Army Form B199A.

2.     2. Notification of Release, 21 August 1945.

3.      3. Notification of Officer “Casualty,” 30 March 1948.

ENDNOTES