Fred Smedley
- Family History
- Military History
- Extra Information
- Photographs
Father: George Smedley, born in 1855 at Whysall, Nottinghamshire and working as a wheelwright. Mother: Rebecca Smedley, born in 1858 at Willoughby on the Wolds, Nottinghamshire. Brothers: William, born in 1881 in Nottingham and working as a builders clerk and Ernest, born in 1900 in Nottingham. Sisters: Annie E., born in 1883 in Nottingham and working as a skirt hand and Alice, born in 1897 in Nottingham.
Cpl. Smedley joined the territorial army on 16/01/1912 and was a member of 7th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters. He went to camp at Wetherbey on 04/08/1912. He arrived in France 0n 28/02/1915, but in August developed a hernia and was sent home on the hospital ship"St. David." He returned to France on 29/03/1916. He was appointed corporal on 02/07/1916 as one of the few survivors of the attack on the first day of the Battle of the Somme. He was killed during a raid on their trenches during the early hours of 28th December 1916, he is buried in Foncquevillers Military Cemetery (grave ref I.H.33)
In memoriam published 29th December 1919 in the Nottingham Evening Post :- “SMEDLEY. – In loving memory of our dear nephew and cousin, Cpl. Fred Smedley, 7th Sherwood Foresters, killed in action December 28th, 1916. Still remembered. – Aunt, uncle, and cousins, Lewis-street.” Above is courtesy of Jim Grundy and his facebook pages Small Town Great War Hucknall 1914-1918
