Biography:
Allison Gould Smith was born 3 December 1890, the second son of George Smith (G 1872-1877) and Helen Smith, of Horbling, Lincolnshire.
He came to Winchester College from Sandroyd School in September 1904 and was a Scholar. He stood on Dress for College XV in 1909.
Smith won the senior classical scholarship at Magdalene College, Cambridge in 1909 and took his degree with a second class in the Classical Tripos of 1912. He then came up to London and entered a surveyor's office, and would probably have returned to Lincolnshire to work near his home.
At the outbreak of war Smith joined the Inns of Court OTC and in September 1914 was gazetted to the 7th Battalion Loyal North Lancashire Regiment. He went to the front in July 1915 and was severely wounded at the Battle of the Somme. He recovered in a few months and returned to France in May 1917, receiving the MC for conspicuous skill and gallantry during an attack at Oosttaverne in the following July.
On 18 April 1918 the enemy opened the second stage of their great offensive and Captain Smith's company, which was in position at Givenchy, was overwhelmed by the force of the attack and isolated. He is known to have died of wounds on that day. Smith's place of burial is unknown but he is commemorated on the Loos memorial.
Photocopies of papers and documents relating to Captain Smith are lodged in the College Archives and can be seen on application to the Archivist, Suzanne Foster on [email protected].