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Lieutenant William Bates Smyth

 

 

Lieutenant William Bates Smyth was born on 27 December 1874 at Strabane, County Tyrone. His father was William Smyth and Annie (nee Bates).

A mill-owner and grain merchant, Smyth sought appointment as an officer on 16 November 1915. He arrived in France on 26 July 1916, where he joined the 1st Regiment North Irish Horse.

Smyth returned home on leave on 17 December 1916. After seeking a medical opinion in London, a medical board found him "unfit to return" on 3 January 1917 as a result of osteo-arthritis of the feet ("probably aggravated by wearing rubber boots on active service in France").

On 1 September 1917 he was promoted to Lieutenant and on 19 January 1918 left England for Egypt. After five months at Alexandria, Kantara and El Arish with the Yeomanry Base Depot, 1/1 Staffordshire Yeomanry and the School of Instruction he embarked for France but soon after was sent to the Machine Gun Corps Base Depot in Grantham, England (on 22 June 1918).

He was demobilized on 17 January 1919.

The first picture, probably taken soon after he was commissioned, is by Swaine of London. The second is from the Herbert F. Cooper Studio at Strabane. The third, taken in 1917 at the Anglo-Swiss Photo-Studio, Cairo, is marked on the reverse "W. B. Smyth & friend, 1914-1918 War". The last is a family photograph, date unknown. Some of Smyth's equipment, recently sold, is shown below.