“Raymond Smith was loved by all who knew him. His influence was always for good: he was a very faithful O.M., and there never was a keener man in whatever he took up. His character was transparently sincere and attractive.” (the Malvernian, Jul 1916).
Captain Raymond Smith was born 23 May 1889, the son of Francis Paul Smit of Greystone, Dale, Haltwhistle.
He was educated at Malvern and was in School House between 1903 and 1906. He was on the Moderns side of the School. He was a House Prefect and played in the House XI for Football.
He returned to his native Northumberland and went into the varnish manufacturing trade.
He was commissioned into the Border Regiment at the outbreak of war, serving with the 11th Battalion, commanding A Company.
Major Smith was killed in action at the Third Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916, near Authuille.
The Battalion war diary records the horrific casualties experience by the Battalion on the day:
“Authille Wood. 1/7/16. Zero time 7.30am. Battalion advanced from assembly trenches at 8am and came under very heavy machine gun fire suffering over 500 casualties. Captain R Smith was one of ten officers killed.”
Smith was initiated in November 1913 and passed a month later by the Percy Lodge No 1427 in Newcastle. He was raised by Delaval Lodge No 2568 a year later, in December 1914, after the outbreak of war.