371: Cecil Smither and brothers; Herbert Cross and brothers

There were nine brothers including Cecil Smither, the contributor's grandfather. Five fought in the war and two died there. One brother, who was a reserve stretcher bearer, was killed on the Somme and one in German East Africa. The brother who fought in East Africa wrote a letter to Cecil, but died of pneumonia in January 1919. Cecil himself was an apprentice chef in Paris, but the army made no use of his ability to speak French.

Cecil Smither sent postcards, including one of himself on a horse. In one army-supplied postcard, the different words had to be crossed out if they did not apply, and if a soldier wrote extra words on the postcard it would be burnt.