Albert Thomas Smith was born in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire in March 1899 and baptised the following month at St. Peter’s Church in the town on 23rd April. Albert was the fifteenth child of Charles Smith and Sarah Katharine Barber who had a very large family of eighteen children together. These were Joseph, George, Herbert Charles, Clara Annie, Sarah, Joseph Charles, James, Edith Annie, Francis Henry, Florence Annie, Arthur, Emily Elizabeth, Mary, Violet Ethel, Albert Thomas, Ernest John, Sarah Caroline and Nancy. Sadly however, five of the children had died before Albert was born, the first Joseph in 1882 when he was aged two, Clara and the first Sarah in 1886 aged two and one respectively, James in 1889 when he was two and the Arthur in 1896 aged three. Francis then died in 1904 when he was fourteen and then the second Joseph died in 1915. Joseph, like his younger brother Albert fell in the Great War, killed in action on Sunday, 25th July 1915 whilst serving with the 2nd Battalion Bedfordshire Regiment.

Whem Albert was born his family lived in Red Lion Yard just off the High Street in Berkhamsted and by the time of the 1911 Census, the Smiths had come to Hemel Hempstead and lived at 23 Sunnyhill Road in Hammerfield. On the outbreak of war, Albert was still too young at fifteen to volunteer, but as soon as he had reached his eighteenth birthday in March 1916, he travelled to Watford to enlist and joined the Royal Tank Corps. The Tank Corps had been formed in March 1916 as the Heavy Section of the Machine Gun Corps and the first tanks sent to France in August. They were first deployed in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette on the 15th September 1916, surprising the Germans and the British troops alike. As they were further developed what became the “Tanks Corps” was officially formed on 27th July 1917. By this time, Albert was at Bovington in Dorset undergo his basic training and he was sent overseas in March 1918, just after his nineteenth birthday. He was posted to the 1st Gun Carrier Company, Royal Tank Corps arriving with the unit on the 15th April.

The Gun Carrier Companies by this time were being used to supply the Tank Battalions with materials such as petrol, grease, oil, machine guns and parts as well as moving troops when required. Much of Albert’s time was spent in training and maintaining the Tanks until late May when he was at the frontline on supply duties. Part of his duties also involved “Salvage” when damaged or abandoned tanks were scavenged for parts to help maintain the operation of the other tanks. This was dangerous work and often on or near the frontlines and casualties where frequent.

On 27th June 1918, Albert was injured whilst engaged in this work and admitted to hospital where he remained until returning to his unit on the 19th July to resume duties. On the 27th September, an entry in the Unit War Diaries recorded the event which led directly to Albert’s death as follows: “Three tanks returned…to await loading. Loaded at 2.0pm and proceeded at 6.30pm…arrived almost midnight. Encountered considerable harassing firing of gas and H.E. [High Explosives]. G.C. Tank 105 received 2 direct hits, abandoned. 5 O.R. gassed admitted hospital.” Number 105 was Albert’s tank and despite receiving treatment in hospital and fighting for eight days, he eventually succumbed to “gas poisoning”.

He died of his wounds on Thursday, 4th October 1918.

A brief report about his death appeared in the Hemel Gazette the following week. He was commemorated on the War Memorial Plaque in St. Mary’s Church, High Street and on the War Memorial Scroll in St. Paul’s Church, Highfield both in Hemel Hempstead.

Albert is Remembered with Honour in Terlincthun British Cemetery, Wimille, Pas de Calais, France, where he is interred in Grave IV. E. 21.

He was only 19 years old when he died.

Albert was entitled to the British War Medal and the Allied Victory Medal.