Thomas Smith (1886-1918)

Thomas Arthur Smith was born on 13 July 1886 in Eastbourne, England, to Henry Smith and Mary Hobden.

Henry was originally a prison warden and married Sarah Jane Terry in 1866. They had a son named Caleb in May 1867, but sadly, he died when he was three months old due to “disease of mesenteric glands” – an inflammation of lymph nodes in the abdomen. Sarah Jane died the following year due to “epilepsy for four days”, which means the issues started on the anniversary of Caleb’s death.

Henry married Mary in 1869 and they went on to have a large family.

Thomas served several years in the Royal Navy, then became a police constable. In 1908, he married Rose Smith. They had one daughter in England, before moving to Port Coquitlam, where their second was born.

Thomas enlisted in November 1914 and served with the First Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade. His files state he was a “good executive” and a “cheerful and willing worker”. He was awarded the Military Cross for his actions on 10 October 1918:

“…he had command of four armoured cars. He went ahead with four dismounted guns, under continuously heavy machine gun and shell fire and established a strong position which enabled the infantry to advance. He displayed most conspicuous gallantry, courage and determination to push forward, keeping his guns in action successfully."

Thomas was killed in action on 22 October 1918, aged 32. He left behind his wife and two daughters, “who have been bereft of their gallant daddy”, in Chilliwack.

However, he wasn’t quite the perfect family man the newspapers made out. In November 1917, Thomas had married Florence Sarah Annie Hudson in London, giving his marital status as “bachelor”. His military records state that Rose is his “legal wife” and Florence is his “bigamous wife”. They even specify that Florence gets his medals and decorations, while Rose gets the “cross of sacrifice, plaque and scroll”.

Rose and the girls moved back to England in 1919 and lived with her mother, Ellen. Florence got remarried in 1924.