Description
King’s South Africa, 2 bars, SA 1901, SA 1902, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Guide P.A.F. Smith, Field Intelligence Department, later Captain in the South African Army during WW1.
King’s South Africa officially impressed: “Guide P.A.F. Smith. F.I.D.”
Star officially impressed: “Lt P.A.F. Smith S.A.S.C.”
BWM officially impressed: “Capt P.A.F. Smith”
WW1 medals with long original silk ribbons.
Confirmed on the medal roll. Medals named to FID are rare as most had served in other units, also entitled to a rare matching QSA named also to the FID.
With research, WW1 South African service records and medical discharge records, photograph of gravestone etc.
The oddly named Paulus Aemilius “Æmiliius” Frederick Smith, was born during 1870 in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia, his Reverend Father presumably was a fan of Roman History.
His father the Reverend Pierce Galliard Smith, was a former Scotsman from Dumfries, born during 1826 who had become an early “Free Settler”, being offered the post of local Reverend in Australia, arriving on the Mermaid in 1855.
His father was minister of St John’s Church, Canberra, from 1855 to 1905.
A Book titled “Pioneer Parson of Early Canberra” by John Cope, 2006, about his father was published in 2006, based on his dairies “a significant figure in the lives of so many people who lived in the sparsely populated Canberra district in the second half of the 19th Century.”
During the Boer War, both Paulus and his older brother William “Brad” Bradshaw Galliard Smith, fought with the Colonial Forces in the Boer War.
His brother known as “Brad” or “Bradshaw”, was a rambunctious “Gold Digger” whose journey led him from Australian Gold Mines to South Africa, it looks like his brother Paulus might have accompanied him, his father hated Brad’s habit of “gadding about the countryside” digging gold or working on cattle ranches and refusing to settle down.
His brother had joined the 2nd Scottish Horse, and was killed in action at Bakenlaagte where the 2nd Scottish Horse made a stand and took heavy casualties.
Boer War Service of PAF Smith:
Shown on the QSA Medal roll of the Field Intelligence Department as a Guide, with 3 bars for Cape Colony, OFS and Transvaal. It notes that he has before joining the F.I.D. served as a Civilian Conductor in the Army Service Corps.
Whilst working as an Agent living in Dundee he married Anna Dorothea Grissaer in Pietermaritzburg, Natal, on 13th August 1909.
World War 1:
Enlisted at Cape Town on 13th September 1916, working as a Clerk aged 47, this looks to be a 2nd Enlistment, having probably been discharged following earlier service in German South West Africa during 1914-5 as a Lieut in the South African Service Corps.
Joined the 5th South African Infantry and was posted for service in German East Africa, where he served for 7 months.
However the dangerous climate led to Malaria: “Several attacks of Fever, Twice in Hospital in East Africa. Arrvied back in Union, 18th May 1917 and was sent to Potchefstrom Hospital, under treatment for 1 months, with 2 months Recoup leave, discharged as unfit for Military Service on 18th August 1917, last attack of fever on 6th October 1917.”
It looks like he rejoined and became a Captain, later after the war he still appears to be a serving Sergeant in the 5th South African Infantry on 10th April 1921 when he died aged 50 of Pulmonary Tuberculosis, being buried and commemorated by the South African War Graves Commission.
