Arthur Smith - Looking for DNA

The soldier we are researching is Arthur George SMITH, who died at the Battle of Fromelles, France, 20 July 1916. We need your assistance to find relatives to help identify the soldier via DNA.

Arthur was a 21-year-old blacksmith’s striker, not quite 5’4” tall, and less than 9 stone when he signed up in 1915. His record can be seen at the National Archives of Australia web site. (59 pages) – there is a link at the end of this story.

Arthur Smith is believed to be one of the soldiers from the mass grave at Fromelles as his identification disc was found and returned by the Germans. We need help to identify him – to find relatives to talk to, or to find relatives who may be the DNA match. Identifying any siblings of his grandparents would be a start. Are there any SPRINTALL or KEY cousins out there? More about that later.

Arthur’s parents came from Derbyshire in England. His father, Abram Smith (1864-1921) was born in Shottle, Derbyshire and, by 1891, he was widowed with one son (Fred 1888-1958). In that year, Abram married Charlotte Knowles (1872-1952) of Eckington, Derbyshire in Chesterfield and they went on to have a further five sons who survived to adulthood. Arthur was the first of these five followed by Frank, Alfred, Ernest and Harold.

In 1908 when Arthur was about 15, the family migrated to Western Australia, living in Guildford, Perth. By 1910, Abram was supporting the family working as an engine driver and, in 1911 aged 18, young Arthur also joined the Western Australian Railways. He worked as a junior labourer for about three years and then became a blacksmith’s striker.