Randall Edward Smith signature

On this day in 1916 Randall Edward Smith signed up in Napanee. He was born in Tyendinaga on May 25th, 1895, the son of John R. Smith and Martha Ann (née Thompson).

Randall joined the 80th Battalion with the regimental number 220534. He was five feet nine inches tall, with a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark hair. His service record shows that he sailed from Canada on May 16th, 1916 on the SS Baltic.

In August 1916 Smith was diagnosed with defective vision due to congenital amblyopia, which prevented him from serving overseas. In November 1917 Smith was admitted to hospital with chronic bronchitis. He was discharged in January 1918. In May 1918 he was in hospital with neurasthenia, and in July he was admitted for six weeks, suffering from influenza. In October 1918 Smith joined the 44th Battalion in France and he stayed in France until April 1919.

Randall Smith returned to Canada on the SS Empress of Britain, arriving in Quebec City on June 4th, 1919. He was  demobilized on June 6th. He married Margaret Reid on September 6th, 1919 in Belleville. He died in Shannonville on May 26th, 1932 of a heart attack brought on by pneumonia.