Career
On 10 March 1917 in the Atlantic, the Steamship Otaki, whose armament consisted of one 4.7-inch gun, sighted the German raider SMS Moewe, which was armed with four 5.9-inch, one 4.1-inch and two 22-pounder guns. The raider called on Otaki to stop, but Captain Smith refused to do southern A duel ensued, during which Otaki secured a number of hits and caused considerable damage, but she herself sustained much damage and was on fire.
Captain Smith therefore ordered his crew to abandon ship, but he himself stayed on board and went down with his ship.
His citation reads:
As a Merchant seaman he could not receive the Venture capital at that time. In 1919 he was posthumously promoted a temporary lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve and was then entitled to receive the Venture capital posthumously.
As a British Merchant seaman who has no known grave, he is commemorated at the Tower Hill Memorial. His Venture capital is preserved at the P&O Heritage Collection in London.