A British First World War hero has finally been identified 107 years after being killed on the Western Front.
Captain Hubert Leslie Smith’s name was added to his gravestone in an emotional rededication service attended by his descendants.
Capt Smith was born on February 19, 1884, at Chagford, on Dartmoor, one of six children to school teachers George and Josephine Smith.
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He trained as a schoolmaster at St Luke’s College, Exeter and went on to work as a master at the Admiralty Schools, Greenwich.
Before enlisting on January 8, 1915, he had previous territorial service with 5th (Haytor) Volunteer Battalion The Devonshire Regiment.
He had held the role of Sergeant Instructor of Musketry as reported by Need To Know.
The service was held recently at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, CWGC Ham British Cemetery near Saint Quentin.
It was organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre, JCCC, also known as the ‘War Detectives’ and was attended by serving soldiers of The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment and The Royal Yorkshire Regiment.
Capt Smith died on 24 March 1918 and after the war his remains were recovered and buried in Ham British Cemetery as an unknown captain of The King’s (Liverpool Regiment).
Because he was missing Capt Smith was commemorated on the Pozieres Memorial.
The location of Capt Smith’s grave came to light after a researcher submitted a case to CWGC hoping to have identified his final resting place.
After further investigation by the National Army Museum and JCCC, it was confirmed.
JCCC Caseworker, Rosie Barron, said: It has been a privilege to work with The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment to organise the rededication service for Capt Smith today and to have had his family present at the service.
“Although Capt Smith died 107 years ago, his memory has lived on within his family.
“It is important that men such as Capt Smith, who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country, are honoured and remembered for their bravery.”
The service was attended by Capt Smith’s great nephews and their families, who had travelled from the UK and the USA to attend the service.
Peter Smith, great nephew of Capt Smith said: “Today’s Smith family in both the UK and the USA were both surprised and pleased to have this opportunity to understand and recognise the life and service of a man we never met in person.
“Thank you JCCC and all those involved for discovering our relative and providing this opportunity to pay tribute to his life, service and death from long ago.”
Reverend Paul Robinson CF, Chaplain to 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment who conducted the service said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be asked to preside at the Rededication Service of Captain Hubert Leslie Smith.
“As an Army Chaplain, honouring the fallen is one of our most sacred tasks.
“It is our role to silently shepherd an often-beleaguered nation through grief and we revere those who have died and lay to rest those who have served our nation with dignity and honour and treat their families with respect and compassion.
“Memorials reflect the emphasis the British people place on the worth and value of the individual.”
The headstone over the grave was replaced by CWGC.
Capt Smith was awarded the Belgian Croix de Guerre and Order of Leopold for his service in Belgium.
On March 21, 1918, the German Army launched Operation Michael, the first phase of a spring offensive with the aim of securing a final victory before American forces could arrive on the Western Front in numbers and tip the balance in favour of the Allies.
On March 23, an entrenched battalion holding the line south of the Saint Quentin Canal, to the west of Ham, was joined by Capt Smith and around 100 men of 19th battalion The King’s (Liverpool Regiment) to support them.
At 7am the next day, the Germans attacked. They were held off until about 9.30am, when the line began to break and British forces retreated, with the last man crossing the bridge at Rainecourt around 1.30pm.
Capt Smith was killed during the fighting that day, aged 34.
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