JOHN FRANCIS SMITH  Click on image to view magnified version

2/Lt. John Francis Smith (left) whilst serving with the 8th North Staffordshire (Burton) Battalion and before his promotion to Lieutenant. After Great War service and subsequent civilian life in Staffordshire, John Francis (Jack) Smith found himself working in Bristol prior to World War II. In the summer  of 1940 he volunteered for service in the  11th Gloster (City of Bristol) Battalion, Home Guard, serving initially as a Corporal and later as a Sergeant. Details of his life in that Battalion can be seen on an associated page in this website. Later, John Francis returned to Burton, left the 11th Gloster and joined the 8th North Staffordshire (Burton) Battalion where he was commissioned. This page contains details of his service with the 8th North Staffs and also of his earlier Great War service.

The Bristol Blitz was a series of heavy bombing raids by the Nazi German Luftwaffe on the city of Bristol, England during World War II. The first raid began around 6 pm on Sunday 24th of November 1940, and the city was to endure another five major bombing raids until April 1941.

As previously mentioned on the page describing John Francis's Home Guard service in Bristol, he was presented with a tankard by his comrades in the 11th Gloster. This was the occasion.

The inscription on the tankard shows it was presented to John Francis in 1941. His occupation in 1939 and 1945 was as a Brewery Representative for Bass Brewery, Burton-on-Trent. The brewing industry and the hospitality sector in Bristol would have been severely affected by the intensity of the bombing. During the Bristol Blitz, nearly 90,000 buildings were damaged, and it is likely that John Francis’s work with the hostelries in Bristol may have “dried up” and forced a return to Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

J.H. Bromhead wrote of the time, when “R” Company Headquarters of 11th Gloster (City of Bristol) Battalion was based at White Tree Garage:

“Air Raids on Bristol were also in full swing during our period there, and the old No.1 Platoon was the first to suffer badly. Many of the men in this Platoon were involved in one way or another - their homes or their jobs, and as a result this Platoon started to lose a number of its original members. Some transferred to other towns, some to other districts and I think this is the first occasion on which instead of gaining new recruits we lost some members.” (see References 3)

This bears out some of my initial thinking about John Francis’s transfer to Staffordshire, due to the effect of the blitz on Bristol and his employment. My research has also led me to believe he was in No.1 Platoon. Whilst the above was written in Major Bromhead's memoirs for the period around the end of 1940, I think it may be a general statement made about the effect the Blitz bombing was having on the Company’s numbers over the period of the time known as the Bristol Blitz. The fact we have a picture showing the then Sgt. John Francis Smith parading outside St. Albans Club HQ, and we know this was not used as an HQ until May 1941, his move from Bristol to Burton-on-Trent was after this date.

The shoulder badge in the above portrait clearly shows John Francis Smith was serving with the 8th North Staffordshire (Burton) Battalion as a 2nd Lieutenant. A single epaulette badge on his left shoulder denotes this rank.

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The picture above, found in my father’s possessions, is of the North Staffordshire 8th (Burton) Battalion. I counted 106 Home Guard members in the photo. At the time this photograph was taken, John Francis had been promoted to Lieutenant. Lt. John Francis Smith is in the front row ninth from the left. The two Lieutenant pips can be clearly seen on his left shoulder epaulette in the cropped image below. (I think this photograph was taken at the same location as the Officer Stand Down photo below - P.57 of original publication. I have not at this time identified the location.)



The following photograph shows Lt. John Francis Smith, (front row, 3rd from left), and a volunteer to his left holding trophies. The composition of the photograph suggests the trophies are for a shooting competition. There were many competitions held as part of training. There are 22 members in the photo.

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The following newspaper article, found in The British Library Board’s British Newspaper Archives, describes one such event (see Reference 10 below). This could conceivably be the event for which the trophy photo above was taken. Although the shooting team described consisted of 24 members it may be that on the day the photo was captured only 22 members were available to sit - I think the photo may have been taken on a later day to the actual event and presentation. Lt. J.F. Smith is not mentioned in the article, but he may be holding the Sub-District Cup, and the volunteer to his left may be holding an individual marksman trophy, so perhaps he is either Pte. Malliber or Pte. Grieg?

Staffordshire Advertiser Saturday 16th September 1944 HOME GUARD RIFLE COMPETITION Cup Goes to Burton  The Sub-district Home Guard Rifle Competition was held on Saturday and Sunday when 24 members from each of the battalions competed. There was keen rivalry for the Sub-district Cup, which was won by the 8th (Burton-on-Trent) Battalion and the standard of marksmanship was high.The conditions imposed for the competition were that the competitors had to march four miles to the range in full marching order within an hour. They then had to double 100 yards to the 300 yards range and fire five rounds within a minute. Another minute was allowed to cover the distance from the 300 yards to the 200 yards firing point and the firing of five rounds, and a similar time was allowed for doubling to the final stage at 100 yards and firing the remaining five rounds.The possible score for individual marksman was 60, and the aggregate score for the Burton-on-Trent team was 968. Pte. Malliber and Pte. Grieg each returning 49 and Pte. Cotton and Pte. Parker 46. The 14th (Stafford and Rugeley) Battalion came second with an aggregate of 812. Cpl. Sargeant, with a score of 51, having the distinction of putting up the best performance in the competition. Pte. Barlow, of the same Battalion scored 46. Third place was taken by the 10th (Lichfield and Tamworth) Battalion, whose aggregate of 7674 included a 47 by Lieut. Marsh and a 46 by L/Cpl. Smith. Other individual marksmen who made good scores were Cpl. Farr 48, Sgt. Bennison 48, and Pte. C Fox 46 (Stone); Lieut. Tabbiner 50 (Hanley); L/Cpl. Sal 48 and 2nd Lieut. Moss 46 (Leek); L/Cpl. Woodhead and Pte. Jackson 46 (Cannock); Pte. Kelly 47 (Newcastle Borough); and L/Cpl. Parrington 48 and L/Cpl. Bentley 47 (Cheadle). The Sub-district Cup was presented to the Burton team by District Commander, who congratulated the competitors on their fine performances. He mentioned that the motorized divisions in the Army were trained to march 10 miles in two hours and said he believed that the men whom he had watched that day would with a little more training prove themselves equal to such a test. Among the visitors to the range were the Col. The Earl of Harrowby (Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire), Lt-Col. Sir G. Percival Heywood Bart, D.S.O., Col. C. L. Longstaff, C.B.E., the Sub-district Commander, Home Guard Advisor, Sector and Battalion Commanders.

The last picture currently known to have been taken of John Francis Smith is most probably this one. It is one section of a photo which, in its entirety, shows Officers of the 8th (Burton) North Staffordshire Home Guard Stand Down (See Reference 9 below). Lt. John Francis Smith is in the 2nd row, 3rd from right. In the picture, although it is grainy, one can see that John Francis appears to be unwell by the way he is holding himself. This photo was taken around December 1944, so less than a year before his death. If he was unwell at this time then he may not have returned to work, though I am unable to be sure of this. The entire Battalion photograph is shown below, together with a transcription of its original caption. (Please note that a magnified version of the image is available elsewhere within this section of the website).

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The original image is fully captioned and these are the names of all the men:

The Officers of the 8th Staffordshire (Burton) Battalion Home Guard – Stand Down, 1944

Back Row – Lt F.J. Crossley, Lt. G.T. Griffiths, 2/Lt. E. Elliot, Lt. J. Hall, Lt. W.G.R Arblaster, Lt. A.A. Bull, 2/Lt. A.J.C. Loescher, Lt. K.F. Hewes, Lt. A.S. Myrtle, Lt. A.E. Stott, 2/Lt. J.E. Porteous, 2/Lt. E.C. Harrison, 2/Lt. A. Rowland, Lt. J.G. Lester, 2/Lt. W. Buchanan, 2/Lt. G.R. Roobottom, Lt. J.M. Knight, 2/Lt. W.S. Johnson, Lt. H. Forrester, Lt. W. Felthouse, Lt. R.F. Webster, 2/Lt. J. Broom, M.M.

Third Row – 2/Lt. F. Leadbetter, Lt. R.C. Harrison, 2/Lt. A.W. Croft, 2/Lt. G.T. Woollett, Lt. T.W. Ford, Lt. P. Guest, Lt. T.H. Barron, Lt. T.W. West, Lt. H.W. Cohen, 2/Lt. J.C. Salt, G.M., Lt. S.W. Mack, Lt. G. Jones, 2/Lt. M.L. Howe, Lt. P. Harrison, Lt. H.J. Hallett, 2/Lt. F.J. Jones, Lt. W.R. Garnham, M.M.

Second Row – Lt. S.J. Turner, Lt. A.R. Evans, Lt. F.W. Bailey, Lt. L.H. Stoneystreet, Lt. J. Rogers, Lt. A.E. Irwin, Lt. L.J. Savage, Lt. E, Ironmonger, Lt. R.H. Scott, Lt. J Atterbury, Capt. H.W. Beaman, Capt. J. Birkbeck, Lt. C.H. Underhill, Capt. S.V. Ward, Lt. H. Bray, Lt. C.R. Birt, Lt. C. Gallimore, Lt. T. Tipper, Lt. G.J. Rees, Lt. J.F. Smith, Lt. R.W. Drewitt, M.S.M., Lt. A.E. Radford.

Front Row – Capt. M.C. Hill, Capt. R.M. Cameron, Capt. I.L. Pass, Capt. G. Haynes, Major J.L. Searle, Major W.J. Ison, M.S.M., Major H.A. Parson, Major F.R. Durose, Capt. T. Whitehead (Capt A and Q), Major C.H.P. Goddard, Lt-Col. S.R. Sharp, M.M., Capt. S. Cartwright, M.M. (Adjt), Major N.J. Cochran, M.B.E., Major W.P. Riley, M.C., Major G.C. Keen, Major S. Buxton, Major J.P. Frost, Major E. Gardiner, Capt. H.A. Norton, M.M., Capt. E.B. Priest, Capt. A.H. Buckland, Capt. G.F. Kidd.

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John Francis died on 12th September 1945 at Bristol General Hospital, less than a year after he appeared with all his comrades in the photograph above. The cause of death, as noted on the death certificate dated 16th Dec 1945, was Carcinoma of Larynx (Throat cancer). The death certificate shows that Margaret, his wife, was present at his death.

John Francis was cremated at Canford Crematorium; his ashes were scattered on the grounds there but the precise location is not known. We always assumed his throat cancer was caused by smoking and this may certainly have been a contributory factor. However, it should also be considered that the gases used during World War 1, which he would have been exposed to, were carcinogenic in nature, and exposure to them could lead to developing cancers in later life, so this could well have also been a contributory factor in his early death.

I discovered his brother, Owen Walton Smith, died on the 22nd of March 1945 just a few months before John Francis. Intrigued, I ordered a copy of his death certificate - the cause of death was Carcinoma Bronchus (Lung Cancer). During my research, I discovered Owen Walton Smith (241107), was in the same regiment (2/6th North Staffs) as John Francis during The Great War - though Owen was transferred to the 2/5th and then the 4th North Staffs. The transfers most probably occurred during the time when the 2/6th was being reduced to a Training Cadre in 1918: this followed the Spring Offensive by the German Army when the 2/6th North Staffs Regiment was decimated during the attacks that began on March 21st, 1918. (See Reference 11 below) It is interesting to note that they both died from cancers of the respiratory system and that they both served with the same Regiment which experienced heavy gas attacks during World War 1.

Enlisting in October 1916, Corporal John Francis Smith served with the 2/6th and 1/6th North Staffordshire Regiments during World War 1. I have discovered information that suggests he served with the 2/6th Battalion HQ and saw action on the battlefields of the Somme, Ypres, Polygon Wood, and Passchendaele in 1917 and would have been present during the taking of the Riqueval Bridge during the Battle of St. Quentin Canal at the end of September 1918, a pivotal point in the war when the Allies broke through the German Lines. This victory led to the collapse of the German front and the end of the war. (See References 11, 12 below)


Corporal John Francis Smith was awarded the British War and Victory Medals for his WW1 service, below (front and rear views).

NOTES ON DEFENCE MEDAL Application and Award

John Francis’s early death meant he did not receive a Defence Medal. I applied posthumously to the British Army Historic Disclosures Division by way of completing the required forms (see Reference 12a below) and sending a cheque payment. The initial form, sent in February 2020, was not processed prior to the first lockdown, this understandably caused a delay. In or around July 2020, I received a reply, along with my cheque, stating that no action could be taken on the application as the payment would be out of date before they could process it, and they suggested that I should reapply with a freshly dated cheque. Fortuitously, I had just sent off a new application as I was unsure if they had received the first one - as the cheque had not been cashed. I think the two letters crossed in the post. So again, I waited, and more lockdowns ensued. Over a year later, in mid-October 2021, I received a reply from the Army Personnel Centre, along with my 2nd cheque, thanking me for my enquiry, and advising that after an extensive search, no file could be found for John Francis Smith, quoting that to facilitate a search his service number was required. As you can imagine I was quite disappointed with this news after such a long wait. However, I did not give up, and a chance comment I made against a photo, posted on the “Remember Britain’s Home Guard” Facebook page, sparked a reply from a member of the group who explained how, from the 1939 Register, the National Identity Number could be identified. This proved fortuitous, and so on the 9th of October 2021, I sent off my 3rd application, to Army Personnel, with the new information I had found since the last application, i.e., the National Identity Number, and the knowledge of his serving with the 11th Gloucestershire Home Guard. Then on the 4th of December 2021, I received a letter from the Ministry of Defence, stating they were pleased to advise that the award of the Defence Medal in respect of my grandfather’s service during the 1939-45 War had been approved and was awaiting despatch. It was a delight to receive this notification. On the 17th of December 2021, we received the delivery of his Defence Medal. Of course, I still had not received any service records, I understood that due to the lockdowns they had a backlog of applications to work through. So, I waited patiently, and on 17th of March 2022, I finally received, from the Army Personnel Centre, the contents of the Home Guard record for John Francis Smith. The record consisted of his “Form of Enrolment in the Local Defence Volunteers”. The form provided welcome new information and answered many of my questions, but sadly not all of them - however, I am grateful for the information that it does provide.

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NOTES and REFERENCES

9. From "The 8th (Burton) Battalion of the Staffordshire Home Guard. An Appreciation of Their Record of Service to Their King and Country". This important image has been kindly shared by Austin Oz J. Ruddy who owns a copy of this booklet. Photographer unknown. Austin Oz J. Ruddy is the administrator and owner of the Remember Britain’s Home Guard Facebook page.  A copy of the booklet is available in the R.W. Salt Library at the Staffordshire Archives. I understand there are no other mentions of Lt. John Francis Smith within the book.
10. The British Library Board’s, British Newspaper Archives. The newspaper in which the article was found is noted in the body of the text. All articles in this history have been manually transcribed by the author, Ian Smith.
11. UK, WW1 War Diaries (France, Belgium and Germany), 1914-1920. National Archives- 2nd 6th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment - WO95-3021 (transcribed by Ian Smith)
12. UK, WW1 War Diaries (France, Belgium, and Germany), 1914-1920. National Archives - 1st 6th Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment – WO 95-2685 (transcribed by Ian Smith)
12a. https:/www.gov.uk/apply-medal-or-veterans-badge/apply-for-a-medal  Home Guard Service Questionnaire plus MOD Medal Application form.