Anthony Smith (rescuer)
George Cross recipient, born 1894
Anthony Smith (3 August 1894 – 1964) was awarded the George Cross for "outstanding gallantry and devotion to duty in conditions of the utmost danger and difficulty" on 23 February 1944 in rescuing people from a bomb damaged building in the World's End area of Chelsea, London. A chimney sweep and shoemaker by trade, he was attached to the Chelsea Division of the Civil Defence Rescue Service.
First World War
At the outbreak of war in 1914, Smith enlisted in the Royal Marines Light Infantry, Chatham Division. He was posted to the Royal Marine Brigade of the Royal Naval Division and participated in the landings at ANZAC Cove in April 1915. Smith suffered a foot injury that required his evacuation to Chatham.
By December, Smith had recovered and rejoined his old battalion in France, where he fought in numerous actions including the Somme offensive of 1916. Smith's service in the War came to an end after a serious hand injury requiring amputation of three fingers resulted in invalidation from the Navy in August 1917.
Anthony Smith returned to civilian life as a nightwatchman but returned to the family trade of chimney sweep in 1926.
Second World War
Smith tried to re-enlist on the outbreak of war in 1939 but his injury prevented this and instead had joined the Heavy Rescue Service based at Chatham, Kent.
23 February 1944
On the night of 23 February 1944, a lone German aircraft dropped two bombs, probably aimed at Lots Road Power Station.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Anthony Smith (rescuer)” as george Cross recipient, born 1894. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the general reference register because the source frames it as george Cross recipient, born 1894. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 7, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7823436. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1894, 1964, 1944 and 1914.
A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Anthony Smith (rescuer)”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Anthony Smith (rescuer) primary sources, Anthony Smith (rescuer) archive and Anthony research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Anthony Smith (rescuer)”?
- Which cited source is closest to the event, object or claim?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Anthony Smith (rescuer)” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.