SIDNEY L. SMITH, LCDR, USN

Sidney Smith '26

Date of birth: August 12, 1903

Date of death: March 1, 1942

Age: 38

Lucky Bag

From the 1926 Lucky Bag:

Sidney Layton Smith

Baltimore, Maryland

THIS is a piece of that well-known alloy, "Baltimorean" : savant, a Snake, and a good sport.

Sid is the son of a veteran of two wars. His father once navigated a bateau from Cienfuegos to Key West, without a compass. Sid promises to be as seaworthy, for he knows the Navy from stem to stern.

Though easy going and cheerful, this lad has not been without his troubles since he became one of the spoiled and pampered pets. A too damp combat, with the First Class, on the night before graduation gave Sid a rough start on a hard Youngster cruise, which was destined to be filled with visions of a leaveless September. Another hectic time in his life came when he fell heir to two stripes after the Army-Navy tilt Youngster year. He was able, however, to lead his platoon safely back to Crabtown.

The only thing Sid ever kicked about, besides a delay in receiving the daily paper, was a soccer ball for the class team. His comprehensive limbs and adequate feet probably led him to that field, where men shout and shins are broken.

"Judas rip! No soap! And I didn't get but three letters yesterday."

Choir (4); Star (4, 3); Class Soccer (2); Lucky Bag Staff; Black N (1).

Sidney Layton Smith

Baltimore, Maryland

THIS is a piece of that well-known alloy, "Baltimorean" : savant, a Snake, and a good sport.

Sid is the son of a veteran of two wars. His father once navigated a bateau from Cienfuegos to Key West, without a compass. Sid promises to be as seaworthy, for he knows the Navy from stem to stern.

Though easy going and cheerful, this lad has not been without his troubles since he became one of the spoiled and pampered pets. A too damp combat, with the First Class, on the night before graduation gave Sid a rough start on a hard Youngster cruise, which was destined to be filled with visions of a leaveless September. Another hectic time in his life came when he fell heir to two stripes after the Army-Navy tilt Youngster year. He was able, however, to lead his platoon safely back to Crabtown.

The only thing Sid ever kicked about, besides a delay in receiving the daily paper, was a soccer ball for the class team. His comprehensive limbs and adequate feet probably led him to that field, where men shout and shins are broken.

"Judas rip! No soap! And I didn't get but three letters yesterday."

Choir (4); Star (4, 3); Class Soccer (2); Lucky Bag Staff; Black N (1).

Loss

Sidney was lost when USS Houston (CA 30) was sunk on on March 1, 1942 during the Battle of Sunda Strait. He was the ship's gunnery plotting room officer.

His wife was listed as next of kin.

Biography

From Find A Grave:

S. L. Smith was a Commander in the United States Navy. He was the son of Layton Fontaine Smith and Mary Alexander Beasley Smith - born and brought up in Maryland in the household of his mother's parents. He attended the U.S. Navel Academy. When he was 23, he married Katherine L. Bechtold Smith and in 1930 they were living with her parents. Sidney and Katherine had two sons Sidney L. Smith Jr. and Gordon Leigh Smith who was born March 6 1935.

He was not officially declared dead until December 15, 1945; this also explains his late listing on the Class of 1926 panel in Memorial Hall.

Navy Directories & Officer Registers

The "Register of Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps" was published annually from 1815 through at least the 1970s; it provided rank, command or station, and occasionally billet until the beginning of World War II when command/station was no longer included. Scanned copies were reviewed and data entered from the mid-1840s through 1922, when more-frequent Navy Directories were available.

The Navy Directory was a publication that provided information on the command, billet, and rank of every active and retired naval officer. Single editions have been found online from January 1915 and March 1918, and then from three to six editions per year from 1923 through 1940; the final edition is from April 1941.

The entries in both series of documents are sometimes cryptic and confusing. They are often inconsistent, even within an edition, with the name of commands; this is especially true for aviation squadrons in the 1920s and early 1930s.

Alumni listed at the same command may or may not have had significant interactions; they could have shared a stateroom or workspace, stood many hours of watch together… or, especially at the larger commands, they might not have known each other at all. The information provides the opportunity to draw connections that are otherwise invisible, though, and gives a fuller view of the professional experiences of these alumni in Memorial Hall.

October 1926

Ensign, USS Maryland

Others at this command: LCDR Franklin Van Valkenburgh '09, ENS Fremont Wright '25, ENS Harry Hubbard '25, ENS Thelman Lester '25, and ENS John Graff '26.

January 1927

Ensign, USS Maryland

Others at this command: LCDR Franklin Van Valkenburgh '09, ENS Fremont Wright '25, ENS Harry Hubbard '25, ENS Thelman Lester '25, and ENS John Graff '26.

April 1927

Ensign, USS Maryland

Others at this command: LCDR Franklin Van Valkenburgh '09, ENS Fremont Wright '25, ENS Harry Hubbard '25, ENS Thelman Lester '25, and ENS John Graff '26.

October 1927

Ensign, USS Wyoming

Others at this command: ENS Harold Pound '25.

January 1928

Ensign, USS Wyoming

Others at this command: ENS Harold Pound '25.

April 1928

Ensign, USS Wyoming

Others at this command: ENS Harold Pound '25.

July 1928

Ensign, USS Wyoming

Others at this command: LT Paul Slawson '20 and ENS Harold Pound '25.

October 1928

Ensign, USS Wyoming

Others at this command: LT Paul Slawson '20, LTjg Harold Pound '25, and ENS John Pierce '28.

January 1929

Ensign, USS Wyoming

Others at this command: LT Paul Slawson '20, LTjg Harold Pound '25, and ENS John Pierce '28.

April 1929

Ensign, USS Wyoming

Others at this command: LT Paul Slawson '20, 2LT David Claude '24, LTjg Harold Pound '25, and ENS John Pierce '28.

July 1929

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Wyoming

Others at this command: LT Paul Slawson '20, 2LT David Claude '24, ENS John Pierce '28, and ENS John Bermingham '29.

October 1929

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Wyoming

Others at this command: LT Paul Slawson '20, 2LT David Claude '24, ENS Donald Lovelace '28, ENS John Pierce '28, and ENS John Bermingham '29.

January 1930

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Wyoming

Others at this command: LT Paul Slawson '20, 2LT David Claude '24, ENS Donald Lovelace '28, ENS John Pierce '28, and ENS John Bermingham '29.

April 1930

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Wyoming

Others at this command: LT Paul Slawson '20, 2LT David Claude '24, ENS John Pierce '28, and ENS John Bermingham '29.

October 1930

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Dupont

January 1931

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Dupont

April 1931

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Dupont

July 1931

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Dupont

October 1931

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Dupont

January 1932

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Dupont

April 1932

Lieutenant (j.g.), USS Dupont

October 1932

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Academy

Others at this command: LCDR Charles Cecil '16, LCDR Lyman Swenson '16, LT Robert Smith '20, LT Francis Bridget '21, LT George Brooke '21, LT Paul Register '21, LT William Hobby, Jr. '23, LTjg Hubert Hayter '24, LTjg Lawrence McPeake '24, LTjg Neville McDowell '24, LTjg Andrew Harris '25, LTjg Austin Behan '25, LTjg Charles Tolman, Jr. '25, LTjg James Smith, Jr. '25, LTjg Knowlton Williams '25, LTjg William Hank '25, LTjg William Graham, Jr. '25, LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26, LTjg Earl Olsen '26, LTjg Howard Gilmore '26, LTjg John Graff '26, and LTjg Loren Morris '27.

January 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Academy

Others at this command: LCDR Charles Cecil '16, LCDR Lyman Swenson '16, LT Robert Smith '20, LT Francis Bridget '21, LT George Brooke '21, LT Paul Register '21, LT William Hobby, Jr. '23, LTjg Hubert Hayter '24, LTjg Lawrence McPeake '24, LTjg Neville McDowell '24, LTjg Andrew Harris '25, LTjg Austin Behan '25, LTjg Charles Tolman, Jr. '25, LTjg James Smith, Jr. '25, LTjg Knowlton Williams '25, LTjg William Hank '25, LTjg William Graham, Jr. '25, LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26, LTjg Earl Olsen '26, LTjg Howard Gilmore '26, LTjg John Graff '26, LTjg Loren Morris '27, and 2LT Harold Bauer '30.

April 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Academy

Others at this command: LCDR Charles Cecil '16, LCDR Lyman Swenson '16, LT Robert Smith '20, LT Francis Bridget '21, LT George Brooke '21, LT Paul Register '21, LT William Hobby, Jr. '23, LTjg Hubert Hayter '24, LTjg Lawrence McPeake '24, LTjg Neville McDowell '24, LTjg Andrew Harris '25, LTjg Austin Behan '25, LTjg Charles Tolman, Jr. '25, LTjg James Smith, Jr. '25, LTjg Knowlton Williams '25, LTjg William Hank '25, LTjg William Graham, Jr. '25, LTjg Carlton Hutchins '26, LTjg Earl Olsen '26, LTjg Howard Gilmore '26, LTjg John Crane '26, LTjg John Graff '26, LTjg Louis Shane, Jr. '26, LTjg Loren Morris '27, LTjg William Pye, Jr. '28, and 2LT Harold Bauer '30.

July 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Academy

Others at this command: LCDR Albert Rooks '14, LCDR Charles Cecil '16, LCDR Lyman Swenson '16, LT Robert Smith '20, LT George Brooke '21, LT Paul Register '21, LT Howard Healy '22, 1LT Charles Kail '23, LT Hallsted Hopping '24, LTjg Lawrence McPeake '24, LTjg Austin Behan '25, LTjg Charles Tolman, Jr. '25, LTjg James Smith, Jr. '25, LTjg Knowlton Williams '25, LTjg William Hank '25, LTjg August Lentz, Jr. '26, LTjg Earl Olsen '26, LTjg Eugene Karpe '26, LTjg Francis Black '26, LTjg Heywood Edwards '26, LTjg Hilan Ebert '26, LTjg Howard Gilmore '26, LTjg John Crane '26, LTjg John Reybold '26, LTjg John Graff '26, LTjg Louis LeHardy '26, LTjg Louis Shane, Jr. '26, LTjg Ralph Smith '26, LTjg William Myers '26, LTjg Loren Morris '27, and LTjg William Pye, Jr. '28.

October 1933

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Academy

Others at this command: LCDR Albert Rooks '14, LCDR Charles Cecil '16, LCDR Lyman Swenson '16, LT Robert Smith '20, LT George Brooke '21, LT Paul Register '21, LT Howard Healy '22, 1LT Charles Kail '23, LT Hallsted Hopping '24, LTjg Lawrence McPeake '24, LTjg Andrew Harris '25, LTjg Austin Behan '25, LTjg Charles Tolman, Jr. '25, LTjg James Smith, Jr. '25, LTjg Knowlton Williams '25, LTjg William Hank '25, LTjg William Graham, Jr. '25, LTjg August Lentz, Jr. '26, LTjg Earl Olsen '26, LTjg Eugene Karpe '26, LTjg Francis Black '26, LTjg Heywood Edwards '26, LTjg Hilan Ebert '26, LTjg Howard Gilmore '26, LTjg John Crane '26, LTjg John Reybold '26, LTjg John Graff '26, LTjg Louis LeHardy '26, LTjg Louis Shane, Jr. '26, LTjg Ralph Smith '26, LTjg William Myers '26, LTjg Loren Morris '27, and LTjg William Pye, Jr. '28.

April 1934

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Academy

Others at this command: LCDR Albert Rooks '14, LCDR Charles Cecil '16, LCDR Lyman Swenson '16, LT Robert Smith '20, LT George Brooke '21, LT Paul Register '21, LT William Gray '21, LT Howard Healy '22, 1LT Charles Kail '23, LT Hallsted Hopping '24, LT Lawrence McPeake '24, LTjg Andrew Harris '25, LTjg Austin Behan '25, LTjg Charles Tolman, Jr. '25, LTjg James Smith, Jr. '25, LTjg Knowlton Williams '25, LTjg William Hank '25, LTjg William Graham, Jr. '25, LTjg August Lentz, Jr. '26, LTjg Earl Olsen '26, LTjg Eugene Karpe '26, LTjg Francis Black '26, LTjg Heywood Edwards '26, LTjg Hilan Ebert '26, LTjg Howard Gilmore '26, LTjg John Crane '26, LTjg John Reybold '26, LTjg John Graff '26, LTjg Louis LeHardy '26, LTjg Louis Shane, Jr. '26, LTjg Ralph Smith '26, LTjg William Myers '26, LTjg Harry Hicks '27, LTjg Loren Morris '27, and LTjg William Pye, Jr. '28.

July 1934

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Gun Factory, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command: LTjg William Hank '25 and LTjg Howard Gilmore '26.

Others at or embarked at Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.: LT Edwin Crouch '21 (Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.) and LT Raymond Hansen '22 (Experimental Diving Unit).

October 1934

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Gun Factory, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command: LTjg Howard Gilmore '26.

Others at or embarked at Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.: LT Edwin Crouch '21 (Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.) and LT Raymond Hansen '22 (Experimental Diving Unit).

January 1935

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Gun Factory, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command: LTjg Howard Gilmore '26.

Others at or embarked at Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.: LT Edwin Crouch '21 (Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.), LT John Hollowell, Jr. '22 (Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.), and LT Raymond Hansen '22 (Experimental Diving Unit).

April 1935

Lieutenant (j.g.), under instruction, Naval Gun Factory, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command: LT Elmer Kiehl '20 and LTjg Howard Gilmore '26.

Others at or embarked at Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.: LT Mark Crouter '20 (Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.) and LT John Hollowell, Jr. '22 (Navy Yard, Washington, D.C.).

October 1935

Lieutenant (j.g.), gunnery officer, USS Dale

Others at this command: LT Edwin Crouch '21.

January 1936

Lieutenant (j.g.), gunnery officer, USS Dale

Others at this command: LT Edwin Crouch '21.

April 1936

Lieutenant (j.g.), gunnery officer, USS Dale

Others at this command: LT Edwin Crouch '21.

July 1936

Lieutenant (j.g.), gunnery officer, USS Dale

Others at this command: LT Edwin Crouch '21.

January 1937

Lieutenant, gunnery officer, USS Dale

Others at this command: LT Edwin Crouch '21.

April 1937

Lieutenant, gunnery officer, USS Dale

Others at this command: LT Edwin Crouch '21.

September 1937

Lieutenant, gunnery officer, USS Dale

January 1938

Lieutenant, gunnery officer, USS Dale

July 1938

Lieutenant, Bureau of Ordnance, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command: CAPT Mervyn Bennion '10.

January 1939

Lieutenant, Bureau of Ordnance, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command: CAPT Mervyn Bennion '10.

October 1939

Lieutenant, Bureau of Ordnance, Washington, D.C.

Others at this command: CAPT Mervyn Bennion '10.

June 1940

Lieutenant, USS Houston

Others at this command: LCDR David Roberts '21, LT Richard Gingras '25, LT Alfred Grove '30, LTjg George Davis, Jr. '35, ENS Francis Weiler '39, ENS John Shepherd, III '39, ENS Kenneth Kollmyer '39, ENS Alva Nethken '40, ENS Coleman Sellers, IV '40, and ENS Fred Mallory '40.

November 1940

Lieutenant, USS Houston

Others at this command: LCDR David Roberts '21, LT Richard Gingras '25, LT Alfred Grove '30, LT Russell Ross '30, LTjg George Davis, Jr. '35, LTjg John Patty, Jr. '37, ENS John Woodruff '38, ENS Francis Weiler '39, ENS Kenneth Kollmyer '39, ENS Alva Nethken '40, ENS Coleman Sellers, IV '40, and ENS Fred Mallory '40.

April 1941

Lieutenant, USS Houston

Others at this command: LCDR David Roberts '21, LT Richard Gingras '25, LT Alfred Grove '30, LT Russell Ross '30, LTjg George Davis, Jr. '35, LTjg Bruce Skidmore '37, LTjg John Patty, Jr. '37, ENS John Woodruff '38, ENS Francis Weiler '39, ENS Kenneth Kollmyer '39, ENS Alva Nethken '40, ENS Coleman Sellers, IV '40, and ENS Fred Mallory '40.

Others at or embarked at this command: ENS Edmundo Gandia '38 (Asiatic Fleet).

Class of 1926

Sidney is one of 36 members of the Class of 1926 on Virtual Memorial Hall.

• ← Ward Dickey '26
• Eugene Karpe '26 →