Profile - Timothy Smith
Timothy Smith
27 September 1884 - 6 March 1952
Timothy Smith was born 27 September 1884 in Chapelizod,
County Dublin, Ireland. Timothy enlisted with the East Yorkshire Regiment on 21
April 1902 at the declared age of 18 years 3 months. He was actually shy of his
18th birthday by six months. At time of enlistment Timothy was 5’ 2
½” tall and 112 lbs.
The enlistment with the British Army was for a period of 12
years – three years in full time army and nine years in the reserves. On his
attestation documents Timothy listed as next of kin his father Patrick Smith and
his older brother John – John was enlisted with the British Army Service Corps
at the time.
John was married Maude Ellen Robbins and had four children –
their second being Ellen Smith, our paternal grandmother. John died in the
spring of 1913 and Maude re-married to Timothy that August. The family sailed
from Liverpool, England aboard the RMS Victorian and arrived in Saint John, New
Brunswick on 14 December 1913. They made their way to Fort William, Ontario and
settled there.
Timothy arrived at the training camp in Valcartier, Quebec
on 11 June 1916. He embarked for England aboard the SS Olympic on 28 June 1916
and disembarked in Liverpool, England on 6 July. He was transferred to the 17th
Reserve Battalion on 13 July 2016 for training in East Sandling (near Hythe),
England. Timothy embarked for Havre, France on 24 August 1916 and was taken on
strength with the 28th Northwest Battalion, 6th Infantry Brigade of
the 2nd Division CEF.
Timothy would remain with the 28th Battalion
throughout the remainder of the Great War. From August 1916 to the war’s end, the 28th
Battalion would be involved in the Somme Offensive that had began 1 July ending 18 November, 1916; the
Battle of Vimy Ridge on 9 to 12 April 1917; Hill 70 on 5 August 1917; Passchendaele in mid
October 1917; attached to British units during the German Spring Offensive in 1918;
and the 100 Days War from 8 August to 11 November 1918.
Timothy would return to Canada aboard the HMS
Cedric embarking in Liverpool, England 19 May 1919 and was discharged in Port
Arthur, Ontario 30 May 1919. Timothy and Maude would remain in Fort William to
raise their family which grew to a total of seven children.
Timothy was a painter by trade and worked for a painting firm for a short time after the war. He then went to work for the C.N.R. as a carman until retirement in October 1948. Timothy passed away on 6 March 1952. His obituary made reference to Timothy being a victim of a gas attack in the war.
Timothy was a painter by trade and worked for a painting firm for a short time after the war. He then went to work for the C.N.R. as a carman until retirement in October 1948. Timothy passed away on 6 March 1952. His obituary made reference to Timothy being a victim of a gas attack in the war.
Interesting fact:
"The Great War" and was considered to be “the War to End All Wars”. It wasn't until the onset of World War II would it be attached a numerical designation and be referred to as "World War I".Some helpful links:
To research a battalion's war diaries for a daily account of activities:
To discover a relative's military records in WWI:
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