Private Sidney Smith was born in Streatham, London in 1878 and was the son of Henry and Elizabeth Smith.  He married Lilian Eliza Harvey on 2nd September 1905.   In 1911, he was working as a plumber and living in Streatham. During the Great War he joined the Royal Flying Corps with the number 37875 and transferred at some time to the 15th Battalion The Sherwood Forester with the new number 72404.  In 1921, he was working as a plumber and had 3 children.   

He was awarded the Military Medal (London Gazette 14.5.1919) for bravery.