War Memorial Hall c1929
Francis John SMEDLEY
Francis Smedley was born on 25 March 1876 in Carlton, Victoria. His parents were Samuel and Janet (née McGregor) Smedley. He attended Scotch from 1890 to 1891. He matriculated at Scotch, where he was in Cadets.
Francis was an accountant when he enlisted on 5 March 1915 in Melbourne, Victoria. He served in the 7th Battalion with the rank of Lieutenant.
Francis died on 20 August 1918 in London, England. He was 42 years of age.
Service record
Francis was allocated to a depot for more than a month in March-April 1915. He became a ‘School Sergeant’ in September, when he was with N Company of a Depot Battalion. In August 1915 he qualified as a 2nd Lieutenant (see application below, with its reference to Scotch College). He was attached to the 15th Reinforcements to the 7th Battalion and was with those reinforcements when he embarked from Melbourne on 7 March 1916. They arrived first in Egypt, but by 17 May were in France. On 23 June he was taken on strength of the 7th Battalion. Just six days later Francis received a gunshot wound to the right thigh. He was sent to hospital in Boulogne, where he stayed until he was discharged on 8 July.
On 27 February 1917, Francis became a full Lieutenant. Two months later he was detached from the 7th Battalion and attached for duty to Instructional Staff at Etaples. On 18 July he was sent to England, where he was attached for duty to the 2nd Training Battalion. He was an Instructor at the 1st Australian Divisional Base Depot.
That arrangement came to an end in February 1918, and by March Francis was back in France. On 9 July the 7th Battalion War Diary recorded that Francis had been awarded the Military Cross (see below). This award was for his demonstration of ‘courage, skill and initiative’ at Strazeele, France, on 12-13 June 1918 (see below). When the commander of a platoon advancing ahead of his in a trench raid was severely wounded, Francis brought his own men forward and led the reinforced platoon in the capture of an enemy machine gun that had been causing heavy casualties. He then led the successful defence of the captured ground against an enemy counter-attack.
The Scotch Collegian quoted a congratulatory letter from General Birdwood, who was in adminstrative command of the AIF, to Francis. It concluded ‘With good wishes and many thanks for your fine work.’ On 9 August, near Lihons, Francis was wounded in action for the second time, with what was diagnosed initially as a fractured spine caused by a gunshot wound. A veteran of the battalion later wrote: ‘Lt Smedley got his issue here while out strolling about the wire. Several of us went over to look for him without result, and it was not until they were bringing in Gorrie Tucker badly wounded that they found poor Smed [sic], and his batman.’
Six days later Smedley was invalided back to the United Kingdom, and on 20 August 1918 he died of his wounds at the Empire Hospital in London. Those wounds were categorised as ‘Shell wound cervical spine quadriplegia ascentery [sic] myelitis’. He was given a full military funeral (see burial report below). Francis’ possessions that were sent home to his family after his death were quite numerous and interesting, and included two German pistols (see below).
Francis Smedley is buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery (Plot IV, Row B, Grave No. 8), Surrey, England.
Photographs and Documents:
Francis Smedley’s application for a commission as an officer.
Francis is identified as eighth from the left in the middle row of this photograph of 7th Battalion officers in the Ypres area on 20 February 1918.
Francis is at the centre of the back row of this group of 7th Battalion officers, photographed in England in 1918. Most of them would, like Francis, win decorations for bravery. Francis was one of three who would not survive 1918.
Recommendation for Francis Smedley’s Military Cross.
The 7th Battalion War Diary records Lieutenant Smedley’s Military Cross (9 July 1918).
Francis Smedley’s cross is second from the left in the front row of this photograph of Brookwood Cemetery during an AIF funeral, probably in 1919.
Letter to Francis’ wife Florence telling her of his death and funeral, where a fellow officer of the 7th Battalion was in attendance. The officer, Lieutenant Rupert Whalley, had, like Francis, been wounded at Lihons.
Inventory of items sent to Francis Smedley’s relatives, including two German pistols and a bayonet. Smedley’s service file contains three other cards containing similar numbers of items to be sent back.
Sources:
- Austin, Ron, Our Dear Old Battalion: The Story of the 7th Battalion AIF, 1914-1919, Slouch Hat Publications, McCrae, 2004
- Australian War Memorial – Roll of Honour; Honours and Awards; 7th Battalion War Diary (AWM4 23/24/41 - July 1918)
- Mishura Scotch Database
- National Archives of Australia – B2455, SMEDLEY FRANCIS JOHN
- Scotch Collegian, 1918
- The AIF Project - https://www.aif.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=277754
