Horace Walter Smith WW1

Comment by John Shulver on July 9, 2024 at 13:32

Roy aka Smiffy.........any further details of Horace's war, ie, Regiment, where served, his outcome ?? Good photos !

Comment by Roy aka Smiffy on July 10, 2024 at 9:27

Hello John, the only info I have is this.

This is Horace Walter Smith, my Dad’s older brother.

Born in Linzee Road, London c1895

From about 1949 lived in Seymour Road. Uncle Horace was a fascinating man who’d lived a very varied life. He was a soldier in the Great War and served in the Home Guard in the Second World War.

Between the wars he worked for Thomas Cooks the travel agents, sometimes in the Paris office, as he spoke French very well. When war broke out he stayed in Paris until the Germans were about to take the city. The French staff in the office were instructed to make their own way home. The British staff  each were  given a suitcase filled with a ledger and a large amount of cash and travellers’ cheques then told to get back to Britain by any means. They did, and all the money was returned to head-office.

On returning to England, Horace joined the Home Guard and continued working for Cooks until his retirement.

He’d walk up Green Lanes every Saturday morning to see us, at 11 Woodberry Grove, have a cup of tea chat with Dad about DIY (both very good with their hands) and then walk home.

His abiding interest was the railway, steam it all was then. He had a particular interest in signalling.

A quiet kindly man and I wish I’d taken more notice of his wisdom. I too now, am interested in steam railways.

Comment by Hugh on July 10, 2024 at 10:04

Good to hear from you Roy. Thanks for sharing your uncles story, Do you know what number Seymour he lived at?

Comment by Roy aka Smiffy on July 10, 2024 at 10:20

The house was number 99 Seymour Road.

Before that they, Auntie Maud and their daughter Joan, lived in Brownswood Road.

Joan married Stan and together they were champion formation ballroom dancers, we often saw them on the TV.

Auntie Maud was a very good dressmaker and made the costumes for the ladies in the team.

Comment by Hugh on July 10, 2024 at 14:45

For some reason, Seymour keeps popping up recently. Not long ago we had "The Mysterious Seymour Road Circle, Three Butchers and the Perrier-Jouët Champagne House".

and in the last couple of weeks, "Working out whether a cluster of Seymour Road houses are original or rebuilds"

Comment by John Shulver on July 16, 2024 at 13:54

Ok Roy.  I found his Saturday morning routine rather 'quaint'.  It must have been relatively comforting when relations lived within easy reach of each other back in those days.

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