Alfred John Smith, known as Alf or Alfie, was born in May 1894 in Cooks Hill, New South Wales, the youngest son of Captain Duncan Smith and Ada Smith née Genge 1865-1941. Alfie’s older brother, Walter Genge Smith, was born two years earlier in 1892. The Smith family lived at 74 Parry Street, Newcastle, where they were a respected and well-established part of the local community.

The Children of Duncan and Ada Smith:

Their father, Captain Duncan Smith, was a professional ship's captain, working in the bustling port of Newcastle. His career on the seas brought both a seafaring tradition and a sense of discipline into the household. The family’s connection to the maritime world and Newcastle’s coastal identity played a strong role in shaping the boys’ character. Their mother, Ada, came from the Genge family — the daughter of Richard Morgan Genge and Margaret Eleanor Harrison — and had faced hardship from a young age, losing her father when she was just twelve.

The Smith children were raised with a deep sense of resilience, community pride, and public service. Alfie and Walter attended Cooks Hill Superior Public School, where Alfie was remembered as a thoughtful and capable student.

Alfie found work as a clerk, and Walter who listed his occupation as school teacher on enlistment, later in life worked as a printer. Outside their working lives, the two brothers shared a love of the beach and the surf, and were both deeply involved in the Cook’s Hill Life Saving Club — one of Newcastle’s most prominent surf lifesaving groups. Alfie in particular was active in the club's leadership, serving at one point as honorary secretary, and helping grow its reputation across the region. Their time with the surf club reflected their strong sense of discipline, fitness, and mateship — values that would later be echoed in their military service.

The club became a second home, and both Alfie and Walter were part of a generation of young men who balanced work with public service and local pride. When war was declared in 1914, the call to serve was strong among members of the surf club. Many enlisted, and the club would go on to lose several members at Gallipoli and later in France. Alfie and Walter would be among those who answered the call — and whose names would later be etched into the collective memory of Newcastle and Cooks Hill.

Alfie enlisted on 18 September 1915 at Liverpool, New South Wales, aged 21. He was posted to B Company, 30th Battalion, part of the 8th Brigade of the newly raised 5th Division. His occupation was listed as clerk, and he had no prior military service. His older brother, Walter, enlisted earlier on 24 July 1915, also at Liverpool. Walter was posted to the same battalion — 30th Battalion, B Company — and was already training in Egypt when Alfie embarked. Walter had worked as a fireman and was 23 at the time of enlistment. The two brothers shared a strong bond. When Alfie arrived in Egypt in early 1916, Walter wrote home to their father, expressing his joy at being reunited with his younger brother:

On 12 March 1916, Alfie was transferred to the 30th Battalion — the very same unit as Walter. The reason noted in his file was clear:

“Transfer to 30th Battalion as requested by brother.”

Alfie was originally slated to join the 56th Battallion. It was a decision, permitted under King’s Regulations, allowing family members to serve together. For Alfie and Walter, it meant not only unity in arms but the comfort of having a familiar face amid the harshness of army life. The brothers trained side by side in the Egyptian desert. Walter also sent home a more detailed and lyrical letter from the Egyptian front, which was published in The Newcastle Morning Herald on 19 July 1916. He described the diversity of life around the Suez Canal with deep fascination:

A week later, on 16 June 1916, the 30th Battalion embarked from Alexandria to join the British Expeditionary Force. Alfie and Walter disembarked at Marseilles, France, on 23 June 1916. Together they moved north by rail, through the green countryside of France — bound for the trenches of the Western Front and, tragically, the battlefield of Fromelles.

The 30th Battalion left Egypt in mid-June 1916 and arrived in France, disembarking at Marseilles on 23 June. Just a few weeks later, they were sent into the trenches at Fromelles. The 30th Battalion, as part of the 8th Brigade of the 5th Division, moved into the front-line trenches opposite the German lines near Fleurbaix. They were among the supporting battalions for the assault planned for 19 July 1916.

At 5.45 PM, the 31st and 32nd Battalions launched the initial attack across No Man’s Land, suffering enormous casualties. The 30th Battalion was held in support, with some companies ordered forward later in the evening. Casualties mounted quickly. Alfie, then only 22 years old, was one of those sent forward. According to post-war accounts, Alfie was shot and killed while trying to return across No Man’s Land after the failed attack.

He never made it back to the Australian lines. His body was never recovered.

The 30th Battalion's official war diary recorded the aftermath with clinical brevity, but for the men who served with Alfie, the loss was deeply personal.

Walter, serving with the same battalion, survived Fromelles. He continued his service and was later recognised for his bravery during the Battle of Polygon Wood in 1917, where he earned the Military Medal for capturing a machine gun and twelve prisoners.

The local newspaper later wrote:

Despite the chaos of the battlefield, Alfie was remembered by his surf lifesaving club in Newcastle:

Alfie’s death left a deep wound in the Smith family. His father, Captain Duncan Smith of Parry Street, Newcastle, received the official notice that his youngest son had been killed in action:

Alfie has no known grave. He was one of hundreds of Australians killed during the disastrous Battle of Fromelles whose bodies were never recovered from the battlefield. His name is commemorated on the V.C. Corner Australian Cemetery and Memorial, where 410 unidentified Australians are buried and 1,299 names are inscribed on the walls — men with no known resting place. In early 1917, a letter from 11945 Private Garnet Dart, (published in the Northern Times), captured the impact of war on the close-knit community of Cook’s Hill. Writing from Glasgow, he reflected on news from home and the toll of the war on his old mates:

Newcastle/Cooks Hill surf boys :

You can read Eric and Max Arkell's Soldier Story on our website.

Alfie is also remembered in several locations across his home town of Newcastle:

The grief of Alfie’s death was ever-present for his family. His brother Walter returned to Australia after more than three years of service. He had survived trench fever and a gunshot wound to the hand, and was welcomed home as a decorated war hero:

Walter went on with the Battalion and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery at Polygon Wood. Bravery in the field during operations in Belgium. Walter was awarded the Military Medal for his conspicuous bravery and leadership during the fighting near Polygon Wood in late September 1917, part of the broader Third Battle of Ypres.

A newspaper report from the time states:

His actions demonstrated initiative and courage under heavy fire, contributing significantly to the success of his company’s objectives. Shortly after, Walter was hospitalised with trench fever, believed to have been brought on by a bullet wound through the hand that he had sustained a week earlier. Despite his injuries, Walter recovered and returned to Australia after three and a half years of active service. His community honoured his courage and sacrifice. During the welcome home ceremony, speakers reflected on the deep personal cost to the family.

Walter’s younger brother, Alfie, had been killed at Fromelles just days after the brothers arrived in France together. Walter was a proud and active member of the Cook’s Hill Life Saving Club before and after the war. The club mourned Alfie’s death and celebrated the bravery of its returning members. Walter’s story became part of the club’s proud tradition of service and sacrifice. Walter married Mattie Louis Sheppard in 1920 and they had two daughters. He passed away in 1982 at the age of 89.

Alfie and Walter’s older brother, Duncan Malcolm Smith, M.A. (1890–1973), was born in Newcastle, on 29 October 1890, Duncan was a respected educator and public figure whose life was defined by scholarship, service, and integrity. After earning his B.A. in 1912 and M.A. (Hons) in 1920 from the University of Sydney, he dedicated his life to education. Duncan taught at Cleveland Street, North Sydney High, Goulburn, Sydney Boys High and Canterbury before becoming headmaster at Nowra Intermediate High School.

He later served as an inspector for the Albury district until his retirement in 1954. Duncan was also active in politics, serving as President of the ALP Goulburn Electorate Council in 1925. He was expelled from the party in 1926 for refusing to vote for the abolition of the Legislative Council but remained politically engaged, aligning with federal Labor in 1933. He married Marcella Gertrude Smyth in 1914 and had four children. He is laid to rest in Rookwood Cemetery. Duncan’s legacy includes a lifetime of public service and a commitment to education that shaped generations.

Alfred John Smith was killed in action at Fromelles on 20 July 1916. His body was never recovered, and he has no known grave.

In 2008, a mass grave was discovered behind the German lines at Pheasant Wood. It contained the remains of 250 Australian and British soldiers buried by the Germans after the battle. Since then, 180 Australian soldiers have been identified through DNA and forensic science.

It is possible that Alfie is among the 70 men (2025) who remain unidentified. To help give Alfie his name back, we are appealing for DNA donors from his extended family line. If you are a relative — through his parents, siblings, or grandparents — Australia, Scotland, England - you may be able to help.