Smith, Walter
133688 Gunner, 21 Company, Royal Garrison Artillery
7004 Private, 12 & 717 Companies, Labour Corps
Born 9th May 1895 in Scotter
Son of Thomas (a farmer's rabbit catcher from Kirton-in-Lindsey) and Fanny (nee Massey of Willingham)
Baptised on 3rd July 1909 at St. Peter's Church
Family lived at River View
Became a grocer working at Butler's shop on the corner of Hobb Lane and High Street
Enlisted 10th December 1915 at Gainsborough
Called up on 29th December 1916 and sent to South Camp, 4 Depot at Ripon
Described as 5 feet 9 and a half inches tall
Arrived in France on 13th March 1917
Transferred to 12th Labour Corps on14th May 1917
Joined 717th Company on 30th March 1918
Posted back to the Royal Garrison Artillery on 7th June
Returned to England for two and a half weeks on 15th June
Married Mary Ball on 28th June at St. Peter’s Church
The Gainsborough News of 5th July 1918 reported:-
'A very pretty and interesting wedding took place in the Parish Church on Friday afternoon, when Miss Mary Ball was united in the bands of Holy Matrimony with Gunner Walter Smith, R.G.A., home on furlough from France.
The bride was given away by her brother Mr Harold Ball, and was attended by her sister Miss Eva Ball, and Miss Frances Smith, sister of the bridegroom, as bridesmaids, while the groomsman was his brother, Mr Fred Smith. The Rector, the Rev. J. Blew, was the officiating minister, and the organist, Miss Dorothy Streets, played appropriate music while the large congregation of guests and well wishers assembled, and Mendelssohn's Wedding March while the register was being signed.
The girls of the C.E School, looking sweetly pretty in white dresses and hair ribbons, and carrying baskets of flowers, lined the path from the Church, and scattered flowers in the path of the happy pair, while the bells rang out a joyous peel.
The bride, the eldest daughter of Mr and Mrs Richard Ball, of Saxby, has held the post of assistant mistress in the C.E. school for five years, and during that time has not only won the the respect and esteem of the scholars, but also of their parents and the villagers generally.
The bridegroom is the second son of Mr Tom Smith, of River View, and before joining up was an assistant with Messrs. Butler and Son, Manchester House. He has had about fifteen months service in France, and it was only a stroke of luck that saved him from being taken prisoner during the first Hun onslaught of March 21st.
Gunner Smith returned to France on Monday evening, and Mrs Smith will carry on her duties in the school until her husband returns to civil life...'
Returned to France and stayed overseas until 9th October 1919
Demobilized on 22nd October 1919
Suffered with the after effects of trench life
Worked as a driver for Lidgett's Bakery
Lived at 'Zaydene', Mount Street (now 20 Messingham Road)
Dd not have children
Member of Scotter cricket club
Pall bearer at the funeral of Fred Butler (West face) in 1939
Part of Scotter Observer Corps in World War Two
Succumbed to a paralyis which quickly weakened and overtook him
Died 21st August 1943 aged 48
Buried alongside his wife in Scotter Cemetery
Parents buried in the churchyard