Pte. A.B. Smith

FIRST NAMES: Abel Barker

UNIT: 4th Yorkshire Regiment

NUMBER: 4209

STATUS: Killed in Action

DATE OF DEATH: 17th September 1916

CEMETERY OR MEMORIAL: The Thiepval Memorial

AGE: 20

Very little is known about Abel Smith. He was the eldest son of Mr & Mrs Harry Smith. He enlisted in Northallerton and was living in Brompton at the time he enlisted.

He was killed, aged 20, during the Battle of The Somme. The 4th Yorkshires had taken part in the attack on 15th September 1916 which marked the first time that tanks had ever been used in battle. On 17th September they were still occupying the trenches they had captured in that attack near the village of Martinpuich. No record of any attcks can be traced for this day so it seems likely that Abel was killed by a sniper, or more probably by shellfire. His body could not be identified and he is commemorated on the massive Memorial to The Missing of The Somme at Thiepval.