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By all accounts medals to this Battery are quite highly prized so I count myself fortunate to have this one in the collection

Henry Smith M.I.D.

Staff Sergeant Farrier, 28th Battery, Royal Field Artillery

- Queen’s South Africa Medal with clasps Cape Colony, Transvaal, Orange Free State, Tugela Heights, Relief of Ladysmith and South Africa 1901.

Henry Smith was born in about 1865 in the Parish of Staincross near the town of Barnsley in the County of York. He was the son of Charles, a Cabinet Maker by trade, and Louisa Smith. Louisa had been born a Bottomley but had married a William Haselden in 1858. It is unclear as to whether her first husband had passed away or she had divorced from him.

At the age of 5, during the 1871 census, Henry was resident with his parents and sister, Lilly, aged 2, in Yorkshire. Also at home were step brother Charles Priestley Bottomley, aged 14 and step sister Elizabeth Sarah Jane Haselden, aged 10.

Ten year later, Henry, now aged 15, was already at work as a Whitesmith. This was no doubt due to the fact that his father was now “out of work” and his mother, to add to the family coffers, was a Tailoress. Of the step siblings there was no sign. The family were resident in Long Lane, Huddersfield, Yorkshire.

At the age of 19 years and 9 months Henry attested for Short Service with the colours completing the necessary forms at Barnsley on 16 September 1885. He stated that his trade was that of a Shoeing Smith and that he had previous service in the 3/13 West Yorkshire Regiment. Physically he was 5 feet 6 inches in height, weighed 123 pounds and had a dark complexion, brown eyes and black hair. He was a member of the Wesleyan faith.

On 17 September 1885 he was tested at Barnsley by a fellow Shoeing Smith (Civilian Tradesman), one William Waterton, who found him to be a “Good” Shoeing Smith. Henry specified a preference for the Royal Artillery and this was the Corps he joined at Sunderland three days later on 19 September 1885.

Initially assigned to the R.A. Depot as a Gunner he was thereafter transferred to the 1st Brigade in the same rank from 1 November 1885 until 30 June 1889.

On 3 February 1886 he was posted to India with the Brigade thereby embarking on a journey which to take him away from England for 10 years and one which was to find him a wife and several children. On arrival in India, Smith was then posted and appointed as a Shoeing Smith to the 10th Battery, Royal Field Artillery until 7 September 1889 when he was posted to the 72nd Battery with the same muster on reorganisation.

On 1 June 1891 he was posted to the 55th Battery where he received promotion to the rank of Sergeant Farrier on 21 September 1891. Three days later, on 24 September he sprained his left wrist.

On 12 December 1891 he reverted to the rank of Gunner, the same day he was posted to the 53rd Battery, R.A. A mere three days later, on 15 December 1891, he was mustered as a Shoeing Smith.
On 20 April 1892, whilst at Hyderabad, Smith’s service was extended to complete 12 years with the colours.

On 8 June of that year he married a Harriett Lucy Russell, he had met in India. The wedding took place in St. Thomas’ Church, Hyderabad in the Sind area. A son, Charles Thomas Edward Smith was born to the couple on 28 July 1893.

Three years later, on 16 May 1895 he was re-engaged for the Royal Artillery at Karachi for “such term as shall complete 21 years service.” On 2 July Smith, still with the 53rd Battery, was promoted to the rank of Corporal Shoeing Smith. Another son, Percy Frank Smith had been born on 3 June 1895 IN Karachi in the Archdiocese of Lahore.

Having returned home to England on 27 February 1896 after 10 years and 24 days abroad he was posted to the 18th Battery, R.A. before being posted to 28th Battery on 19 May 1897 where he was stationed when he was promoted to Sergeant Farrier on 5th April of that year. Tragedy struck on the home front with the death of son Percy at Athlone on 30 July 1897.

On 6 April 1898 he was treated for a contusion of the Right Foot.

A son, Archibald, was born to the couple on 7 July 1899.

On 5 December 1899 Smith’s Brigade arrived in South Africa to play their part in the Boer war which had started some two months earlier. The 28th Battery to which he belonged was attached to Warren’s 5th Division. They were present at Venter’s Spruit and Spionkop part of the time on the west or left of the line. Afterwards they were in the action at Vaal Krantz and the final 14 days fighting at the Colenso position.

On 21 and 22 February 1900 the 28th were very heavily engaged. In April the Brigade Division was taken round to the Cape Colony with the Xth Division under Sir A. Hunter. They accompanied him to the Kimberley District and thereafter through the South Western Transvaal to Krugersdorp. On 5 April 1900 Smith was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant Farrier.

In August and September 1900 the 28th Battery was in a column under Hart which operated south and west of Krugersdorp. In the second phase of the war the 28th were employed in the Magaliesburg, the treacherous gullies of which they would have every reason to remember. Two guns were with Dixon when he was attacked at Vlakfontein on 29 May 1901. After the screen was driven in it was around these two guns, which were captured and recaptured, by what was deemed perhaps the finest bayonet charge of the war that the fight raged with unsurpassed fierceness. Several mentions were made on this occasion. It is thought that it was for this action that Smith was Mentioned in Despatches the entry appearing in the London Gazette on 10 September 1901.

Three guns of the Battery were with the same column, now under Kekewich, when it was attacked by Delarey and Kemp at Moediwill or Megato on 29 September 1901. The Battery again did well.

He was discharged on 4 December 1902 having served a total of 17 years and 80 days.

Nothing is unfortunately known of his life after he left the army although he would seem to have moved to Rhodesia where, at the age of 73 (so assumed) he passed away on 9 May 1941 in Bulawayo from Myocarditis and other complications. No next of kin were mentioned on the Information of a Death form.