Joseph William Smith

Personal Information
Date of Birth	unknown
Place of Birth	Essex, England
Death	unknown
Place of Death	unknown
Age at Enlistment	36 years, 4 months
Description	5' 7 1/2" (1.71m) tall; weight 158 lbs (71.7 kg); Fresh complexion, grey eyes, dark brown hair.
Occupation	shop assistant
Religion	Church of England
Address	Sixth road, Armadale, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Wife Mrs Edith May Marion Smith
Military Information
Reg Number	2899
Date of Enlistment	8 Oct 1916
Rank	Private
Unit/Formation	39th Battalion, 6th Reinforcement / 10th Brigade, 3rd Division
Date of Embarkation	29 Dec 1916 - 3 Mar 1917
Ship Embarked On	HMAT A34 Persic
Date of Return	24 Jan 1919 - 18 Feb 1919
Ship Returned On	HMHS Delta
Fate	Returned to Australia
Monument	Armadale (Armadale panel)
Medals	British War Medal Victory Medal

Pre War

Electoral Roll entries - 1914 - 1916 Joseph William Armadale, labourer

War Service

Found fit for service on 8 Oct 1916, but entered training at Blackboy Hill camp on 1 Nov 1916. A month later he was allocated to the 6th reinforcement for the 39th Battalion, a Victorian unit which had trained at Ballarat before going overseas.

With only minimum training, he was despatched to England. On arrival in England he spent a brief period in Sutton Manderville before being posted to the 10th Training Battalion at Durrington, and a month later [29 Apr 1917] to the 67th Battalion at Windmill Hill, Perham Downs.

Arrived in France on 19 Sep 1917, and he was taken on strength of the 39th Battalion on 8 Oct 1917. In hospital sick 29 Jun to 4 Jul 1918, rejoining the battalion on 12 Jul 1918. To hospital again on 31 Aug 1918 with severe myalgia and on 5 Sep 1918 he was shipped back to England where he entered the Voluntary Aid Hospital in Cheltenham and then the 2nd Southern General Hospital in Bristol. Invalided home due to Myalgia.

Discharged 5th Military District 6 Apr 1919.

"Enlisted 1st November, 1916, and sailed with the 6th reinforcements of the 39th Battalion, 29th December, 1916."

Post War

Electoral Roll entries - 1925 Armadale, shop assistant; 1936 - 1937 Seventh road, Armadale, poultry farmer; 1943 - 1949 Albany road, Armadale; 1954 at 80 Hampshire road, Victoria Park.