Smith, WT

Lieutenant William Travers Smith

Born on December 4th 1888 in Bridgewater, Somerset, William was the second of four sons, all of whom would go on to be Alleynians, among seven children born to a civil engineer, Herbert Smith, and his wife, Caroline. He came to Dulwich in the summer of 1901 and was at the College for the next six years. He left in April 1907 and subsequently spent time at the Royal School of Mines in South Kensington. After graduating he went out to Antofagasta, Chile, where he was employed as a mining engineer by Gibbs & Co.
Upon the outbreak of war William returned to England where he volunteered as a member of the Artists Rifles. In May 1915 he was granted a commission in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment but shortly afterwards requested a transfer to the Royal Engineers, feeling that his experience as a trained mining engineer could be put to good use. Once with the Royal Engineers he joined 174th Tunnelling Company and went to France that November. He was involved in heavy work at the front for much of the next two years with the exception of the period between August 1916 and March 1917 when he was away from the front recuperating from serious injuries. On November 20th 1917 he was killed in action whilst working near Arras and later received a posthumous mention in dispatches.