National Memorial Album of Canadian Heroes, c1919

Jean Longstaff has submitted the following:-

John Edward Smith was born on 25th July 1894 in Sunderland. Aged 21 he was living with his sister May and her husband Arthur White in Toronto, Canada and working as a bridge builder.

He enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 16th August 1915 and became Private 171002 in the 1st Reinforcing Draft of the 83rd Battalion, and just five weeks later was sailing with them as a Sergeant on board the SS Corsican from Montreal to Plymouth and onto camp at Shorncliffe, Kent where he was posted to the 39th Reserve Battalion. John was admitted to hospital in December which delayed his transfer to the front, but at the end of February 1916 he was posted to the 24th (Victoria Rifles) Battalion as a Private and proceeded to France as part of the 5th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division.

Joining his battalion at RE Farm, near Kemmel in Flanders, on the night of 10/11th April 1916 Private Smith was part of a large working party near St. Eloi that was caught on open ground and attacked by the enemy. John was wounded in the abdomen and was evacuated to 17th CCS near Poperinge by ambulance train, where he died from his wounds the next day.

John Edward Smith is remembered in Sunderland on S140.048 part 9 page 202

In Canada he is remembered on their Virtual War Memorial and in their Book of Remembrance and in the National Memorial Album of Canadian Heroes.

Canadian Book of Remembrance
Canadian Virtual Memorial
The CWGC entry for Private Smith