Private

Service #688295

Canadian Corps – Lieutenant-General Hon. Sir Julian Byng

4th Canadian Division – Major-General D. Watson

10th Canadian Infantry Brigade – Brigadier-General E. Hilliam

47th Battalion (B.C.) – Lieutenant-Colonel M. Francis

Private Charles Henry Smithrim

Charles was born on December 11, 1876, the son of Elizabeth and R.H. Smithrim of Strathroy. He attested (signed up) with the 172nd Battalion at Vernon, B.C. on September 22, 1916, at the age of 39 years, 9 months. He was single and listed his trade as “teamster” – a driver of trucks, teams of animals, a chauffeur or warehouse worker, we don’t know which. He sailed for England on October 25, 1916. 

He arrived at Liverpool, England on July 6, 1916. He transferred to the 24th Reserve Battalion Battalion on October 1, 1917, at Bramshott, England, and was taken on strength with the 47th Battalion, B.C., at Seaford, England on April 21, 1917, He was reported missing after action “in the field” in France, sometime between May 5th & 7th, 1917. 

Excerpts of the War Diaries for the 47th Battalion for early May may be found on the Club’s website – key search words = Smithrim and 47th Battalion CEF.  Search also under ‘Bosman’.

The War Diary for the 47th Battalion describes combat action involving artillery shelling overnight on May 5th / 6th with “heavy officers casualties”.  The War Diaries tended to record loss of officers and their names, and privates like Charles Smithrim were included in the category “other ranks.

The War Diary entries of the 47th Battalion, on May 6, 1917, give a strong sense of how casually men’s deaths were accounted for; “Casualties – The first estimate of casualties included 2 Officers killed, 4 wounded and one unaccounted for OR’s (Other Ranks) killed 26, wounded 117, and unaccounted for 5”.

Charles Smithrim was one of the “unaccounted for”. I hope his mother never read that casual War Diary entry.

Private Smithrim’s body was not found and so his name is engraved on the Vimy Monument.

The 47th Battalion was relieved by the 102nd Battalion on May 10th.