1/5th Battalion, Gloucestershire Regiment
William James Smith was born at Coberley, Gloucestershire in 1878, the son of Alfred and Alice Cooper Smith, of Charlton Kings. Prior to the war he was a plumber employed by Mr Yates of Bennington Street, Cheltenham. In 1900 he married his wife Alice and the 1901 Census shows them living at 31 Hungerford Street, Cheltenham. By 1911 the couple had two daughters and the family were living at 115 Naunton Crescent, Cheltenham.
Exactly when he first joined the Territorial Army is not known but it is believed that he was a euphonium player in the battalion band for fifteen years. Some papers relating to his Army service have survived, in the Pension Records. On 20 May 1913 (aged 33 years six months) he attested for four years’ service in the Territorial Army. This was probably a renewal of his commitment to the Territorials. His Attestation states his occupation to be a plumber and his address 12 Churchill Road, Leckhampton, Cheltenham. He was promoted to Corporal on 31 May 1913. His record states that he was ‘embodied’ on 5 August 1914, which probably equated to his volunteering for overseas service: Territorials were not obliged to serve abroad. He went to a training camp at Chelmsford but in October of that year a medical board found him medically unfit for further military service and this led to his discharge on 20 October 1914. He entered t h e Cotswold Sanatorium at Cranham, Gloucestershire, suffering from consumption (tuberculosis). This turned out to be incurable and he died at home on 18 February 1915, aged 37. His wife later re-married, changing her surname to Collett and moved to 22 Garden Lane, Chester.
He was buried in Cheltenham Cemetery, where his grave is marked by a CWGC headstone. He is commemorated on the Cheltenham Borough War Memorial and that at Charlton King’s and also memorials in St John’s Church, Charlton King’s (St Mary) Church and the church in Coberley village.
Researched by Graham Adams 7 February 2013
(Acknowledgement to ‘Leaving All that was Dear – Cheltenham and the Great War’ by Joe Devereux and Graham Sacker)