During my research on the 67th Field Regiment I visited the Army Reserve Centre (formerly the TA Centre) in Worcester. On the wall is a painting by Waldron West (War Artist) who lived in Worcester. The painting is called The Dunirk Rifleman placed on permanent loan by Major Tom Averill. All we know of the subject is that he was Lt Frank Smith and was thought to have died in Italy 1943. To date I have never found anyone of that name being killed or who died in Italy at that time. Does anyone have any idea where he served and how he came to be painted by Waldron West. The sketch alongside the painting in the accompanying photo appeared on sale on line in 2019. I contacted the seller but all he could add was that it was part of a collection sold during the clearance of Waldron Wests Estate. I am therefore quite sure that they are one and the same. I am of the opinion that the sketch was possibly done early in the war or possibly just before, in an Army Billet hut possibly at Norton Barracks or even Tiddesley Wood where there is a rifle range. West has done previous paintings at Norton Barracks, the rifle range is not far away. I think that Waldron West may have used the sketch from his files and altered the pose to suit his client adding the “Dunkirk” background to get a sale. Tom was a founder member of the Dunkirk Veterans Association when he purchase it from the artist making a note of the name on the back of a photograph of it. The name of the subject might just have been “artistic licence” or was it true. I am hoping that someone in the forum might recognise Lt Frank Smith or identify him from records. Something members are often very good at.
UK, Army Roll of Honour, 1939-1945 Name: Frank Smith Given Initials: F S Rank: Captain Death Date: 22 Sep 1943 Number: 253707 Birth Place: Birmingham Residence: Birmingham Branch at Enlistment: Infantry Theatre of War: Italy Regiment at Death: Durham Light Infantry Branch at Death: Infantry TD Others Name: Frank Urban Reginald Smith Gender: Male Age: 20 Birth Date: abt 1923 Death Date: 6 Aug 1943 Cemetery: Catania War Cemetery It. 2 Burial Country: Italy Regimental Number: 6031954 Region or Memorial: Italy Name: Frank Stuart Smith Gender: Male Death Date: 22 Sep 1943 Cemetery: Salerno War Cemetery It. 5 Burial Country: Italy Regimental Number: 253707 Region or Memorial: Italy Name: Frank Smith Gender: Male Age: 25 Birth Date: abt 1918 Death Date: 17 Jul 1943 Cemetery: Catania War Cemetery It. 2 Burial Country: Italy Regimental Number: 3910898 Region or Memorial: Italy Name: Charles Frank Smith Gender: Male Age: 21 Birth Date: abt 1922 Death Date: 24 Jul 1943 Cemetery: Catania War Cemetery It. 2 Burial Country: Italy Regimental Number: 14208250 Region or Memorial: Italy
The impossible you do at once! Now all I need to do is find a picture of him to compare with the painting. Perhaps someone will turn up in time but I will try to do so. I also need to place him where Waldron West could have sketched him. I like a challenge so this might keep me out of trouble for a while. Better than watching football or tennis.
TD am I right in assuming that he is the only officer in your list, in which case he is the only candidate to investigate. I couldnt see any other officers on the CWG list during my recent glance. He was born in the Midlands which is good regarding Waldron West. However we dont know his Army Service Record as to which Regiment(s) he served with. His gazette publication might help. Sadly CWGC do not list his NOK. This was not unusual with Officers as their families often withheld their burial details. A certain amount of tact is seemingly required here so a PM might be in order at some stage.
SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 12 JANUARY, 1943 The undermentioned Cadets to be 2nd Lts. 28th. Nov 1942 — INFANTRY Durham L I. Frank Stuart SMITH (253707). This date would be when he was Commissioned following an OCTU Course. Rapid promotion in those days. Ten months later he was buried as a Captain at Salerno. DLI part of 139 Infantry Brigade in 46 Division sailed to North Africa in December 1942. During the Campaign their losses were high which accounts for the rapid promotion of Junior Officers.
Italy, Find a Grave Index, 1800s-Current - Ancestry.com Frank Stuart Smith 1915–1943 BIRTH 1915 • Kings Norton, Birmingham DEATH 22 SEP 1943 • Salerno, Italy Military Serial Number 1943 Service no 253707 Durham Light Infantry Casualty Details | CWGC Yes hes the only officer Frank Smith who died in Italy 1943 that came up TD
The OCTU would have been at least six months (I will check this with a known OCTU Attendee) before which he would have possibly served in a Home Defence capacity and been selected for Officer Training. Selection was rather slow so he was probably in a TA Unit for a year or two. He could have joined up a 18 years old in 1933 but more likely joined in the huge recruiting period after the Munich Crisis in 1938. This would however have placed him in the BEF so he was probably recruited in 1939 having some sort of trade or profession, possibly having five yearn apprenticeship, going to College or University for a year or two. This would make him acceptable for a Commission. He would have trained in home defence then selected on his performance and educational background for OCTU thus being Commissioned in 1942. As Infantry he might have been posted in time to go to North Africa in December 1942. In other words he had ample time in the Midlands to be sketched by Waldron West whilst training in the Midlands. We are making progress but approaching the difficult bit. Where did he join up, must have been in the Birmingham area. From Kings Norton he might have joined the Worcester's rather than the Warwick's or Stafford's to be able to attend a TA Centre unless he had transport such as a motorbike or a car. He was living in the catchment area for the Austin Works at Longbridge and many other Engineering Companies which might have stopped him joining the TA earlier. Some of the Worcestershire Gunners (67th Field Regt) were from Kings Norton some of their officers attended Birmingham University. He could then be posted anywhere from an OCTU. He is going to be difficult to trace as a TA Soldier but the task has to be tried.
Thanks for your help TD excellent as usual if at times annoyingly quick! Dont take that as an insult it is much appreciated.
Better photo of his grave on the 16 DLI website. Capt Frank Stuart Smith, 253707, 16 DLI The 16th Battalion DLI 1940-46 Homepage
Thanks for that Owen, that's put my bedtime back ! Much appreciated. I need to give some thought as to where to find him in training, cleaning his rifle before he was commissioned into the DLI and being sketched by Waldron West. If this is the right man we have an idea of what he looks like but the chance of someone recognising him is rather slim. BIG question is how to remain proactive.. I need to identify if there was an OCTU in the Midlands because everyone who went to an OCTU had their photo taken in their Officer Cadet Service Dress uniform. Usually by a local photographer. Waldron West could have either sketched him live or from a photo. I have always regarded his early death as the reason the painting was not finished but modified for sale to Tom Averill.
HIs birth details are England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 Name: Frank S Smith Mother's Maiden Name: Cale Registration Year: 1915 Registration Quarter: Apr-May-Jun Registration District: King's Norton Parishes for this Registration District: View Ecclesiastical Parishes associated with this Registration District Inferred County: Warwickshire Volume: 6d Page: 163 Father Frank George Smith (1884-1968) Mother Dora Betsey Cale (1888-1963) The only other information that I can find and its a little odd is that the family tree from which some of the details above comes from is entitled Sherwood Foresters 1939-46 Maybe he was an infantryman in the Sherwood Foresters before doing his officer training, and therefore was in the SF Regt at the time of Dunkirk, just some musings on my part This may be a time to think of applying for service records and using the CWGC death certificate download (attached below) TD
If he is the correct chap would not the service records sort things out I know its £30 but would help
Thanks for the advice CL1 much appreciated. Costs ramp up on these things £30 for the records plus £12 for a Death Cert etc. They say our pensions are to be frozen, so I have to be careful. Army Records are always a consideration but there is a long waiting list. I am really only looking for his availability for being sketched by Waldron West before he was Commissioned in the DLI at this stage. I have other local possibilities which might resolve this, I spent a lot of time in Worcester and intend to spend more time there when restrictions ease. Looking at the 16th DLI Website he is not in their officer photos for late 1942 so may have sailed out later as a replacement. I will dig out the 1939 Census to see if he appears at home, working locally and go from there. Onwards and upwards.
Just re read TD's last post. Must have been tired after staying up to go through Owens links to 16th DLI. There is nowadays, a connection between the FR and the Worcester's. Perhaps he was with the Foresters for a while prior to OCTU. It may seem illogical but he needs to have been in the Worcestershire area at some time to be sketched by Waldron West. He seems to have been born and bred in Kings Norton Worcestershire often called Birmingham as it lies in the suburbs. Perhaps his parents commissioned a painting or sketch of him then cancelled when he was killed. It might even have been done from a photo when he was a cadet. He looks a bit chubby in the sketch. The painting may have been changed purposely to make it different from the original in case the original customers might see it. In which case I am on to a loser and we will never know who he was for sure. It would be nice to have a plaque made to go with the painting saying who he was. He doesn't jump out at me in the free lists 1939 in Birmingham or Kings Norton Census from Ancestry. Might invest in a months searching. Any more advice gratefully accepted.
I had a look at "The Heat of Battle" which is about 16th DLI but no sign of Smith in the text, no index unfortunately - the roll of honour has him but very basic - Capt Frank Stuart Smith 253707 22/9/43, age not recorded, no NOK details, has grave details, Born Birmingham, Enlisted Birmingham - thats all unfortunately
Its been a long time since I used Ancestry, its changed a bit. Dropped someone a line as they seem to have a photo of him but it's a private tree. They haven't been on for a while so it might just fizzle out. The main concern is to respect their privacy.
Spent me money made me choice, now wait and see if I get a reply. Whilst I agree that the MoD is the best and only way to check out anyone's service, in this case I am trying to match faces. Even if I knew his service history unless it said "portrait drawn by Waldron West" it wouldnt prove anything. The sure way is if someone comes up with a photo of him to compare with the portraits. Even then one can end up arguing over how close the eyes are. I had one a year ago which to me looked correct but the family couldnt agree and I couldnt prove he had ever been in spitting distance of Waldron West. The Foresters thing doesnt stand up to scrutiny but the Roll of Honour comes up with him in Residence in Birmingham in 1941 which seems odd. He is not on the 1939 Census unless it is well hidden but there are several Frank S Smiths, I got dizzy looking. He had an older sister who died in 1983 so that route is closed but there is one contact who lists two photos of him on a private tree so I can just hope that the cap fits and they would like to see his almost life size portrait with a description framed next to it to say who he is. Watch and Shoot as they say.
Here is a question I could not expect to be answered elsewhere (perhaps CWGC). Smith, Capt Frank Stuart 253707 Died: 22 September 1943 [age not recorded]. Salerno War Cemetery, Italy VI E 42. No CWGC Next of Kin details. Born Birmingham; enlisted Birmingham. Battalion number not recorded by CWGC. Why was his Battalion number or age not recorded. Was he not buried where he fell but found later? His NOK did not specify an epitaph and were not named. He does not appear in the DLI website list of reinforcements but is on their casualty list. I am trying to find out when he left the UK in the main body of the Regt or as a replacement in Italy rather than in Tunisia.
Further research reveals that the 17th DLI was a TA Battalion raised in 1940 with its HQ in Shrewsbury. This would place him in the geographical area for the artist. The description on the back of a recently found photograph of the painting says the painting was from: an unfinished picture of Lt F Smith killed in Italy in 1943. FS Smith ( frequently plain Frank Smith) was commissioned in November 1942 so if this is him, the sketch would need to be done after this date and before his death. By which time he was promoted to Captain. He was killed on 22 Sept 1943. The 17th Battalion was disbanded on 30th August 1943 23days before he died. I have a slight concern that his background is not the profile that I would expect for an officer of the time having read a number of personal letters by men who went through selection in the TA. First Question was always What/who was your father ? Then which school did you attend. The former seems to be the most influential answer. Unless I get a response from a relative or a photo/photos from which to compare it, the whole thing is sunk. No one will ever know who he was. This story is similar to that of a Captain from the Dorset Yeomanry who arrived at RHQ 67th Field Regt at San Clemente on15th December 1944. He was taken up to an OP to relieve Capt Roberts. He went back on his own the following day but was wounded by shrapnel from a mortar bomb. He died in the Field Hospital the next day. No one knew who he was and there were doubts if he was 67th as the incident was reported by the 19th Field Regt OP. Part of the comment was that he had the shortest service of any Officer in the Regiment
Slight correction 17 DLI were not TA . They were `Dunkirk` battalions formed after that campaign.15 DLI 17 DLI and 16 DLI were sister battalions 15 DLI became 155 RAC ,17 DLI were disbanded (most sent to 16th DLI) 16 DLI were the only one of the trio to see frontline action. Theres numerous documents on 17 DLI at the Durham Records Office . Including histories and photographs including several Sgt Smiths who just `may` have been commisioned from their ranks (info via Verrieres) Kyle