Whitchurch Herald 24th August 1918

Report in the Whitchurch Herald 24th August 1918 of a letter received by Mr and Mrs Smith regarding the death of their son, James Glendenning Smith

"Mr & Mrs Anthony Smith of Oddfellows Terrace, Whitchurch, have received news of the death of their only son James Glendenning Smith, of 1/4th Battalion Kings Shropshire Light Infantry. Private Smith was formally in the Church Lads Brigade, and a choir boy in Whitchurch Parish Church. He went out with the Territorials to Rangoon, Singapore and Hong Kong and saw two years and ten months service in the Far East. He returned to France where he was fatally gassed on the 12th August 1918, he died in Hospital two days later, and was buried at Pernes British Military Cemetery. Great sympathy with the bereaved parents in the loss of their only son and with his sisters in their great loss of a brave brother. Private Smith who was 23 years old formally worked in the greenhouses at the Mount. He sent home several interesting communications concerning the Territorials, who have lost a stanch comrade and a good soldier, and Whitchurch, a promising citizen"

Letter received by Mr & Mrs Smith;

"Please accept my deepest sympathy on the loss of your son, who was my batman; I was very fond of him. A gas shell burst in front of his dugout, and when I sent him down to the Doctor I did not think he was very bad, and I was most awfully sorry to hear that he had died in Hospital a few days later. He was bright and conscientious and a very useful man on the line
Major Warneford, 1/4th KSLI"

Whitchurch Herald 24th August 1918


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