Pte. J.W. Smith

FIRST NAMES: James William UNIT: 4th Yorkshire Regiment NUMBER: 200440 STATUS: Killed in Action DATE OF DEATH: 23rd December 1917 CEMETERY OR MEMORIAL: Potijze Chateau Grounds Cemetery, Belgium AGE: Unknown

James Smith was born in Brompton, and he played for Brompton Football Club, as well as being a gifted runner and athlete. He was the elder brother of Thomas Smith who was killed at Passchendaele a few weeks before James met his fate. James was married, his wife was called Beatrice Mary and they had a son and two daughters.

At the outbreak of war, James was training to be an electrician in John Pattinson-Yeoman's linen factory, but he immediately gave up his training to join the 4th Yorkshire Regiment in 1914.

He met his death in the remains of the village of Potijze, just outside Ypres, while he was serving with the Battalion's Quartermasters Stores. He was sitting at a fire when the village was bombed by enemy planes and a piece of shrapnel struck him in his back. He was buried in a nearby cemetery which had grown up around a dressing station which had been established in the grounds of Potijze Chateau.