Not Forgotten, 863 Gunner David SMITH, Y3A Medium Trench Mortar Battery, World War 1

David Smith was born in West Hartlepool near Durham in England; at the time of his enlistment his widowed mother Maria Margaret Smith was living in Maylands in Perth. Smith was an assisting farmer at Wyalkatchem, aged 18 when he enlisted on 10 March 1916 in Perth. David Smith was initially placed in the 44th Battalion, embarked from Fremantle on 6 June 1916, disembarked Plymouth 21 July 1916,via HMAT Suevic, taken on strength with the 44th Battalion but was very soon moved to the Y3A Medium Trench Mortar Battery on 17 October 1916.

Y3A Medium Trench Mortar Battery was formed in August 1916 and continued until 21 February 1918, part of the 3rd Division Artillery, manned by artillerymen and equipped with four 2 inch Stokes Mortars.13 On the Western Front the Battery served at Messines, Broodseinde, Passchendaele, Hamel,Amiens, Mont St Quentin and the Hindenburg Line. Mortars are simple but terrifyingly effective weapons, almost as old as gunpowder itself. They are relatively short barrelled, most often smooth bore weapons that fire projectiles at a high angle at relatively modest velocities. This makes for modest pressures and therefore relatively simple manufacture. The bombs are generally but not always, fin stabilized, with a point detonating fuse.

At the start of the First World War, the Trench Mortar did not exist in the British Army. The Germans had them, where they were known as Minenwerfers, but not in great numbers. The mortar’s characteristic high angle trajectory suited it to trench warfare. Its capacity to lob bombs right into trenches soon ensured that demand for them grew. Their relativelyshort range meant they were necessarily located close to the front lines, which did not enamour them to the infantry because they attracted enemy artillery fire and made them vulnerable to direct infantry assault. On the Western Front medium and heavy artillery of all kinds became crucially important for overcoming enemy defensive positions.

David Smith proceeded overseas to France on 23 November 1916. On 1 March 1917 he was found guilty of a crime of conduct to the prejudice of good order and military discipline in the field and given 28 days’ Field Punishment No. 2 by his Commanding Officer. Field Punishment Number One consisted of heavy labouring duties, possibly while being restrained in handcuffs or fetters, and being tied to a fixed object like a post or wheel as well as loss of pay. Field Punishment No. 2 meant the soldier was in fetters but not attached to a fixed object.

On 18 May 1917 David Smith was detached to 3rd Divisional Ammunition Column. Each Division had an Ammunition Column to keep ammunition up to the guns by moving it from storage further back, using motor and horse drawn transport, heavy and light rail and tramways. It was dangerous work. On 22 May 1917 David Smith was killed in action. He was buried in Strand Military Cemetery in Ploegsteert, just south of Messines.

Gunner David Smith was awarded the 1914/15 Star, the British WarMedal and the Victory Medal.