This account is in memory of Second Lieutenant Smith Green, 70th Squadron of the Royal Air Force who died aged 28 on the 18th February 1919, in Germany.
Smith was the second son born to Joseph and Martha Green on the 19th January 1891 at Boatstake, Methley in Yorkshire.
Joseph was a miner and Martha a gardener who grew flowers which she sold on her stall at the local market in Castleford.
When Smith was born he had an older brother Young and four older sisters, Emma, Una, Josephine and Elizabeth Hannah. After Smith two more sisters came along, Mallie Claudia and Lily.
In 1910 aged 19 Smith joined the Territorial Force of the Yorkshire Light Infantry whilst still working as a gardener and domestic with his mother at Boatstake. Sometime between 1914 and 1915 he became a Corporal and served in France during the First World War.
Afterwards Smith was to join the Air Corps, which was later to become the Royal Air Force. He served in France and died in a flying accident just after the war had ended. The family story says he crashed whilst flying very low under a bridge.
Smith is buried in the Commonwealth War Grave in Cologne Southern Cemetery, Germany.