Thomas Smith

Private Thomas Smith 

12/1507

12 August 1891 - 1 June 1957

Thomas Smith is J's great grandfather.

Thomas Smith was born in England and immigrated to New Zealand prior to the war. He was 23 years of age and single when he enlisted for war service on 20 October 1914. At the time Thomas was living in Devonport, Auckland, and worked as a labourer at the Waikino Bakery. His father John (who is listed as the next of kin in Thomas' war records), resided back in England while his married sister Florence Thornton lived in New Zealand.

On 14 December 1914, Thomas departed from Wellington on one of the troopships bound for Suez, Egypt. He left as part of the 2nd reinforcements of the Auckland Infantry Battalion and, initially, was to be used as a Driver. In reality, it was Thomas' skills as a baker that were most needed during the war and he ended up serving most of his time in the New Zealand Army Service Corps.

28 January 1915 the New Zealand troops, including Thomas, arrived in Egypt. They were stationed in the Zeitoun Camp, a short distance from Cairo. While in the camp, the troops would have engaged in military training and exercises to fit them for battle.

Thomas' military record idicates that he was late to the morning roll call on 14 March 1915 and was subsequently confined to his barracks for two days. Then, just ten days later he was transferred to the Divisional Train Number 2 Company as a driver.

It seems that Thomas embarked for Gallipoli with the New Zealand forces on 12 April from Alexandria. It is unclear what his role was there.

On 19 May 1915 Thomas was admitted to the 17th General Hospital in Alexandria, with a slight wound to his chest which was sustained in the Dardanelles. He was discharged from hospital on 26 May and went to Moustafa. The next we know of Thomas is that he spent Christmas Eve 1915 marching from Maadi, a suburb of Cairo to a military camp at El Moascar, near Ismailia.

By 24 February 1916, Thomas was with his company at Tel el Kabir, a military training camp approximately 100 km north-east of Cairo.

Thomas was sent by ship to France on 9 April 1916, then on 18 April, he was appointed to the Field Bakery in the French town of Rouen. Click here to see a photo of a World War 1 Field Bakery. This bakery produced enough bread to supply a whole Divison each day.

Thomas had a few weeks leave in late December 1917 and spent it in the United Kingdom, probably with his family in Leicester. It seems that during this time Thomas may have contracted a disease, because we know that in March 1918, he was admitted to the 1st Stationary Hospital in Rouen, France, spending five weeks recovering from it. Thomas' duties in the Field Bakery resumed as usual on 28 April.

On 14 November 1918 Thomas began one weeks leave in Paris. This was three days immediately following the Armistice, so the trip would have been thrilling.

Thomas' services as a baker were no longer required from 31 December 1918 and he relinquished his appointment as a baker. He was then marched out to a concentration camp, then to Sling Camp in northern France.

Finally, on 1 February 1919, Thomas boarded the troopship SS Hororata in London which was returning New Zealand troops back home.

Thomas was officially discharged from military service on 14 April 1919 after serving a total of 4 years and 177 days.

Thomas married E M Smith and resided in Waterview, Auckland. He died on 1 June 1957 aged 65.

Thomas was awarded the 1914-15 Star, The British War Medal and The Victory Medal. His name is on the Roll of Honour which was originally displayed at the Lodge of Oddfellows in Devonport, but is now in the Devonport Museum.

J holds photographs of his great grandfather's war medals and medallion.

Sources of information

Online Cenotaph Records - Auckland War Memorial Museum

Archives NZ - Archway Record R7819376

Unoffical history of the Australian and New Zealand Armed Services - Field Bakeries