Sergeant Issy Smith VC Ist Manchesters

[Issylee]

Hello all
I am the granddaughter of Sergeant Issy Smith VC.

I am an author, and my father has asked me to write Issy's life story which I am currently undertaking. I aim to have it completed and published this year. I believe I have all the news articles and published articles about him - what I am now searching for is any personal detail about the man himself, or details of the battle of Neuve Chapelle and the second battle of Ypres that the he was involved in with the 1st Manchesters that may not be in the public domain. If you know of anyone who had connections with him (either directly or through their family - perhaps they are a son or daughter of a colleague, soldier or friend of his) I would like to speak to them. Perhaps they have a story or two.

[Robert Bonner]

I would like to encourage forum members to help Issylee with any detail they may know about our hero.  She has already been in contact with the regimen4tal archives ands has a copy of my little book on her grandfather.   Issy was a bit of a man of mystery and the results of her research should produce a very interesting history.

[mack]

hiya issylee
as Robert says,issy was a bit of a mystery,theres a lot of info about him on the internet,they say he carried sgt rooke 250yds to safety and later in the day he carried in his CO lieutenant shipston
but according to issy,he was carrying in sgt rooke when he spotted lieutenant shipston go down wounded,he put sgt rooke down and went to dress shipstons wounds,he then alternated in carrying in both men a few yards at a time until he got them both to safety,the officer was actually lieutenant walter,neville shipster[not shipston]he later died of wounds in Palestine on 20th sept 1918,he resided at 29 ladbrook square,london,sgt 990 james,david rooke appears to have survived the war,but theres no more known about him,issy served in india with both men
tracing Lt shipsters relatives may turn up something

mack