Sold with original Imperial War Graves communication addressed to Mrs. H. Smith of Ashford, Middlesex and, more poignantly, an original letter from the recipient to his sweetheart, written while training with the 6th Battalion prior to embarking for France.

Private William Arnold Smith, a Chelsea man, first entered the French Theatre of War in January 1915 and was killed in action on 14.5.1915, while serving in the 1st Battalion, Rifle Brigade. His name is commemorated on the Menin Gate Memorial.