669843 Private Thomas Cyril Smith, having had no previous military training, served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during the First World War with the 83rd and 166th (Queen’s Own Rifles) Infantry Battalions in Canada and England and fought in France with the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles Battalion.

In 1917 Private Smith would be wounded twice while serving in France. In October he would suffer a concussion due to an artillery shell explosion and two months later receive a gun shot wound to his lower chest.

Thomas Cyril Smith was born in Toronto on the 26th of June 1896 and was 19 years and 7 months old at the time of his attestation. He stood 5 feet 8 inches tall, worked as a steamfitter and resided at 2 Simcoe Park Road in Toronto with his parents, Annie Lydia (nee Taylor) (b.1863-d.1950) and Thomas Gorton Smith (b.1864-d.1935). 

Timeline of Service

• 1916, 24 Feb – enlistment, medical examination and attestation conducted at the Toronto Recruiting Depot, University Avenue Armoury
• 1916, 29 Feb – taken on strength by the 166th (Q.O.R.) Infantry Overseas Battalion, C.E.F.
• 1916, 12 Apr – transferred to the 83rd (Q.O.R.) Infantry Overseas Battalion, C.E.F.
• 1916, 16 Apr – taken on strength by the 83rd (Q.O.R.) Infantry Overseas Battalion, C.E.F.
• 1916, 28 Apr – embarked at Halifax and sailed with the 83rd Battalion aboard S.S. Olympia
• 1916, 01 May – start assigned pay of $20.00 per month to his mother.
• 1916, 07 May – disembarked at Liverpool, England
• 1916, 06 Jul – struck off strength from the 83rd (Q.O.R.) Infantry Overseas Battalion, C.E.F. (located at West Sandling) and taken on strength by the12th Battalion, C.E.F. (Shornecliff, England)
• 1916, 28 Jul – struck off strength from the 12th Battalion and transferred to the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion, C.E.F. (France)
• 1916, 29 Jul – landed in France and taken on strength by the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion, C.E.F.
• 1916, 16 Sep – arrived 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle in the field fit for field duty and posted to 1 (Central Ontario) Troop, 2 (Central Ontario Regiment) Company

… The general attack on Courcelette was launched on the 15th, … 

The 4th CMR was sent in to help push the advantage at 5pm as pivot troops for the larger flanking movement. Whilst “C” Company suffered platoon losses under withering machine gun fire, by 11pm the situation was under control … relieved by the Lancashire Fusiliers on the evening of the 16th. They returned to Albert and rested until the 19th, when they were marched to Warloy. … 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion War Diary 7th – 26th September 1916

1916, 01 Oct to 11 Nov – Battle of Regina Trench

1916, 17 Dec – A fake attack by the 4th CMR on the 17th, to cover actions of the 1st CMR to their left, proved so convincing that the enemy concentrated a heavy retaliation bombardment on the 4th CMR’s front, inflicting so many casualties that the fake attack had to be abandoned. 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion War Diary 7th December 1916 – 15th January 1917

• 1917, 26 Mar – arrived unit in the field fit for field duty (return from leave?)

1917, 09 to 12 Apr – Battle of Vimy Ridge

• 1917, 23 May – arrived unit in the field fit for field duty (return from leave?)

1917, 31 Jul to 10 Nov – Battle of Passchendaele

• 1917, 03 Sep – sentenced to forfeiture of five day’s pay after losing, by neglect, earlier the same day, his iron rations
• 1917, 26 Oct – triaged by the 9th Canadian Field Ambulance suffering from concussion caused by an artillery shell explosion

… The Battalion began relieving the 1st CMR in the front line to the west of Passchendaele on the 24th, but didn’t complete it until 5am on the 25th. The conditions proved difficult for getting water and rations up, and consequently the men would go into action with virtually no water in their bottles. Assembly for the off was carried out on the night of the 25th/26th, without serious interference from the enemy. … 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion War Diary 24th – 27th October 1917

• 1917, 26 Oct – transferred to the 12th Canadian Field Ambulance 
• 1917, 06 Nov – discharged from the 12th Canadian Field Ambulance
• 1917, 10 Nov – rejoined the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles, in the field with “no disability”

… The working parties continued to the 13th, when a sudden order to move out was received at noon. The Battalion was on the march down the Ypres-Poperinghe road towards Camp 30 at 1:40pm. Total casualties during the tour of working parties amounted to 2 killed and 11 wounded. … 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion War Diary 1st – 13th November 1917

• 1917, 16 Nov – granted fourteen days leave to United Kingdom
• 1917, 05 Dec – return from leave and rejoined the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles, located at Equin-les-Mines, a garrison town, where training continued through to the 17th.
• 1917, 26 Dec – triaged at the 8th Canadian Field Ambulance after sustaining a gun shot wound to the left lower thoraces (chest) region of his body

… The 20th saw them back at Les Brebis and then on the 21st back into the front line on the Loos – Hill 70 front. … Wiring of the quiet frontage continued through to the 27th, with strong and continuous patrols out deterring enemy attack. … 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion War Diary 18th – 31st December 1917

• 1917, 27 Dec – transferred to the 3rd Australian General Hospital in Abbeville, France
• 1918, 10 Jan – declared an invalid due to wounds he was struck off strength from 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles and taken on strength by the 2nd Central Ontario Regimental Depot, headquartered at Shornecliffe, England
• 1918, 12 Jan – transferred to the 3rd Western General Hospital located in Cardiff, Wales
• 1918, 02 Feb – his wound being superficial healed enough he was transferred to the Woodcote Park Canadian Military Convalescent Hospital in Epson, England. Here it is discovered that he has contracted scabies on his chest
• 1918, 12 Feb – scabies condition reported to be cured
• 1918, 21 Feb – struck of strength by the 2nd Central Ontario Regimental Depot 
• 1818, 21 Feb – taken on strength by the 1st Central Ontario Regimental Depot, headquartered at Witley, England
• 1918, 18 Mar – discharged from the Woodcote Park Canadian Military Convalescent Hospital, struck off strength by the 1st Central Ontario Regimental Depot and taken on strength by the 3rd Canadian Reserve Battalion (Central Ontario), located at Witley
• 1918, 28 Aug – awarded 10 days Field Punishment #2 and forfeited 2 days pay when found guilty of absent without leave (morning of 26 Aug until 06:40hr 28 Aug 1918)
• 1918, 04 Sep – struck off strength by the 3rd Canadian Reserve Battalion (Central Ontario) and transferred to the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion
• 1918, 05 Sep – landed in France and taken on strength by the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion
• 1918, 09 Sep – reported to Canadian Corps Reinforcement Camp in the field
• 1918, 11, Sep – left for unit
• 1918, 12 Sep – joined unit in the field with “no disability”

… 19 officers and 512 other ranks move forward to relieve the 58th Canadian Battalion in the Support Line on the 11th. Now in the villages of Recourt and Ecourt-Saint-Quentin, with battery positions nearby, the enemy aircraft are active between showers on the 12th, and a considerable amount of gas shells are being put over too. On the 13th, as weather cleared and enemy aircraft bombed nearby Saudemont, where “B” Company were holding, … 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion War Diary 11th – 15th September 1918

1918, 27 Sep to 11 Oct – The Second Battle of Cambrai

1918, 01-11 Nov – Pursuit to Mons

• 1919, 08 Feb – authorized 8 days leave to the United Kingdom
• 1919, 13 Feb – arrived in England
• 1919, 08 Mar – struck of strength by the 4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion and taken on strength by No. 2 Military District Depot, Toronto
• 1919, 16 Mar – arrived in Halifax aboard the S.S. Carmania
• 1919, 20 Mar – discharged from His Majesties Service with demobilization and entitled to War Service Badge, Class“A”, Number 134545 – No. 2 Military District Depot, Toronto
• 1933, 29 July – Deceased. Death Certificate states cause of death as “Lysol poisoning, self-administered from acute alcoholism over several years”.

https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?op=pdf&app=CEF&id=B9107-S011

Reference – RG 150, Accession 1992-93/166, Box 9107 – 11

4th Canadian Mounted Rifle Battalion War Diary – 4cmr.com

Family Archives provided by Jayne Smith (Granddaughter)

Annie Lydia and Thomas Gorton Smith lived on Fisherman’s Island before a 29 September 1916 move to 93 or 100 Sumach Street, Toronto and sometime later moved again to 91 Monroe Street also in Toronto. In May 0f 1916 Annie Lydia starts to receive assigned pay, from Thomas, of $20.00 per month until payments ended 31 August 1918.