SMITH, George Victor
| Service Numbers: | 187, S74382 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 16 September 1914, Morphettville, South Australia |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant |
| Last Unit: | 8th (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) |
| Born: | Yankalilla, SA, 26 July 1892 |
| Home Town: | Lameroo, Southern Mallee, South Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Labourer |
| Died: | Natural causes, South Australia, 23 January 1978, aged 85 years |
| Cemetery: |
Centennial Park Cemetery, South Australia |
| Memorials: | Adelaide Commissioner of Public Works Roll of Honour, Goolwa War Memorial |
World War 1 Service
| 16 Sep 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 187, Morphettville, South Australia | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Feb 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 187, 9th Light Horse Regiment, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '2' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Armadale embarkation_ship_number: A26 public_note: '' | |
| 12 Feb 1915: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 187, 9th Light Horse Regiment, HMAT Armadale, Melbourne | |
| 28 Jun 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 187, 9th Light Horse Regiment, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 27 Sep 1915: | Wounded AIF WW1, Private, 187, Bullet Wound | |
| 2 Feb 1917: | Promoted AIF WW1, Corporal | |
| 10 Oct 1919: | Discharged AIF WW1, Sergeant, 187, 9th Light Horse Regiment |
World War 2 Service
| 20 Apr 1942: | Involvement Lieutenant, S74382, 8th (SA) Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) | |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Lieutenant, S74382 | |
| 20 Apr 1942: | Enlisted Lameroo, SA | |
| 13 Dec 1945: | Discharged |
Help us honour George Victor Smith's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Charles Campbell College
George Victor Smith was born in Yankalilla, South Australia, and is the son of James Smith. His mother's name is unstated. His family later moved to Goolwa for unknown reasons. Before the war George was a labourer/tradesman but when WWI started he raised his hand and enlisted in the army. He had no past experience with the armed forces so adjusting to military life was very difficult. He enlisted on the 16th of December 1914 in Morphettville and because he had no known illnesses or diseases he was accepted by the army.
For the first year that GV Smith served he worked with the 9th Light Horse Regiment. GV Smith fought bravely in Egypt. Over three quarters of the regiment was from South Australia and GV Smith was one of those people.
After the Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Albert Miel was killed in action, GV Smith was promoted to Sergeant and was seen as one of the leaders of the 9th Light Horse Regiment. On the 10th of December 1915, GV Smith went to hospital in England due to a deadly case of influenza. Once in hospital, he quickly recovered. Throughout the years that GV Smith served, he had a few injuries. For example, on the 27th of September 1915 he was shot in his right leg and then was transported to a hospital in London due to this injury. Throughout his service over 70% of his regiment died in action. He was retired from front line service after this injury and he did not serve at the front again during WWI.
After the war GV Smith returned to South Australia where he lived a peaceful life with no spouse or children. He worked as a labourer/tradesman until the day he died, January the 23rd 1978, due to natural causes. GV Smith had tremendous luck not to die during WWI that was a great gift that many soldiers did not get.
Click images to start slideshow.