Richard Smyth (buried 1914)

This life story starts with Richard Stracey Smyth's Grandfather. Charles Gee Smyth born 1828 in Norwich England. He marries Kate Leonard in Fort William, Bengal India and had seven children who were all born in Bengal India. His seventh child was Richard Stracey Smyth born in 1872. His mother dies shortly after his birth and his father remarries again in 1875 and has another three children but, unfortunately his father dies in 1884 on Board P V Cassandra at the age of 56 whilst on Duty. He was a Senior Branch Pilot for the Bengal Pilot service. They were responsible for guiding shipping along the Hooghy River between Calcutta and the Bay of Bengal.

Richard Stracey Smyth losing both his parents by the age of 12 followed his father's Career path and worked for the Bengal Pilot Service and was also became a Senior Branch Pilot. Richard at the age of 25 married in Fort William, Bengal to Lena Kraymer in 1897 and had four children Kate-Annie Louisa Gee Smyth 1898 born Calcutta, Bengal India, James Gee Smyth 1900 Mussoorie, Bengal India and died aged I Month. Richard Stracey Smyth 1907 and is the young child buried in Heene Cemetery, born Barnstaple, Devon. And John Patrick Stracey Smyth 1911 born Devon The family must have been living in England in 1907 when Richard Stracey was born and in the 1911 Census the family were living in Exmouth Devon at the time of his birth. Part of their household were a cook and a Parlour maid. When young Richard Stracey Smyth was just 7 years old, he was living in Worthing at Newstead in Heene Road, Worthing and on the 5th April Richard dies after a Laryngitis tracheotomy after 18 Hours and 6 Hours of convulsions. His Aunt was present at his death at Heene Road. Richard was laid to rest at Heene Cemetery on the 8th April. Richards Father was still working in Bengal and there is an entry of him living in Bengal from 1911 to 1916. During the family's life they travelled back and forth from England to Bengal India on many occasions by Ship sailings. Daughter Kate-Annie Louisa Gee Smyth travelled to Bengal and married in 1920 to Harold Quinton and by the 1939 Census both parents, Kate and her husband lived together in Tunbridge wells and both parents died there. John Patrick Stracey born 1911, marries in 1938 in Gloucestershire and joins The Royal Air Force. In 1942 he was a Wing Commander officer in 267 Squadron and on 22 October he was killed whilst flying in Lodestar 11 EW984 of 267 Sqn, which crashed after its wing struck a tent following a low level beat-up of the officers mess as it set out on a flight to Lydda. He is buried in Heliopolis War Cemetery in Egypt