Harry's Gammy Foot

The War Diary for the 2nd Battalion noted on 12th January, that its commander, Lieutenant-Colonel d'Arch Smith was invalided home to England. He had tripped over in the front line trenches when running for cover, and badly sprained his ankle. He managed to hobble to the transport lines in the rear of the Battalion's positions but after keeping the weight of it as much as possible over the next fortnight, it was getting badly swollen and he was invalided home to rest.
Harry d'Arch Smith's tenure as commander of 2nd Suffolk was to be a comparatively short one. He had assumed command in the wake of Major C.H. Turner's departure in September 1915. Turner having been killed near Sanctuary Wood near Ypres.
D'Arch Smith was commissioned into the Suffolk Regiment in 1894 and saw service in South Africa with the 1st Battalion. He served with them in Egypt in the years before, but remained in the UK when 1st Suffolk went off to France early in 1915. Instead, he took a draft of the 3rd Battalion out from Felixstowe to join the 2nd Battalion in Belgium later that year.
In his wake, Major Crossfield from the 4th South Lancs, arrived to assume temporary command. Harry would however, be back however to take the Battalion through another tough fight later on that year. His grandson and namesake, would also serve with the Suffolk Regiment, completing his National Service in Malaya with the 1st Battalion.

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