In recognition of his VC, he was also awarded the French Croix de Guerre and Russian Cross of St. George (4th class) by the respective governments.

Born Ishroulch Shmeilowitz (and other renderings), to parents residing in Turkey, Smith travelled to Britain as a child stowaway and enlisted in the British Army in 1904.

On 26 April 1915, Smith, on his own initiative, recovered wounded soldiers while exposed to sustained fire and attended to them "with the greatest devotion to duty regardless of personal risk".

He became a prominent figure in Melbourne's Jewish community, was appointed a Justice of the Peace, and unsuccessfully stood as a candidate for the United Australia Party in the 1931 general election.

[18] He enlisted under regular terms of service in the British Army on 2 September 1904, giving a declared age of 18 years, joining as a Private in the Manchester Regiment.

[25] Given that he was retained as a reservist until 1 September 1916, for the remainder of his 12 year engagement, Smith was mobilised by the British Army after the commencement of hostilities in August 1914.

Some contemporary newspaper articles sources state that Smith was present at the capture of German New Guinea by the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force.

[27][19] He reported for duty at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne,[4] headquarters (3rd Military District), on 10 August, and embarked SS Miltiades on 21 October 1914.

[22] Having actively engaged in the battles of Givenchy and Neuve Chapelle, the 1st Manchesters had already incurred hundreds of casualties by the beginning of "Second Ypres" on 22 April 1915.

The 1st Manchesters were involved in an initially successful counter-attack conducted by the Jullundur and Ferozepore brigades on 26 April 1915, near Wieltje, in conjunction with other Allied units.

[5] Recounting his own rescue by Smith to a Daily Mail correspondent, Sergeant Rooke said of the corporal: "He behaved with wonderful coolness and presence of mind the whole time, and no man deserved a Victoria Cross more thoroughly than he did".

[22] Subsequently Corporal Smith displayed great gallantry, when the casualties were very heavy, in voluntarily assisting to bring in many more wounded men throughout the day, and attending to them with the greatest devotion to duty regardless of personal risk.

[33][d] His Victoria Cross was later presented to him at Buckingham Palace by King George V.[34][35][e] He was feted by publications such as The Jewish Chronicle, and his status as a recipient of the VC was utilised by the British government for the purposes of stimulating further recruitment.

[37][38][39] On one such occasion, in September 1915, he was invited back to his old school in the East End to receive a gold watch and chain in honour of his Victoria Cross.

[41] Contemporaries, however, continued to report instances of discrimination against Jewish servicemen, including an incident involving Issy Smith in Leeds.

[19] His partial recovery from gassing meant that, for accounting purposes, he was taken on the strength of the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion from 15 December 1915, as opposed to the Depot, which was associated with hospitalised men.

[46] With the exception of two cavalry divisions, the Indian Corps in Europe redeployed to the Middle East theatre, sailing from Marseilles on 10 December 1915 and arriving in Basra on 8 January 1916 to be integrated into the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force.

[59] Despite his fame and popularity, like many former servicemen contending with post-war economic hardship, Smith struggled financially – a predicament compounded by illness.

[60] As a consequence he pawned his medals for £20, only for them to be recovered by the Jewish Historical Society on the urging of the wife of Chief Rabbi Joseph Hertz and ultimately reunited with Smith.

[63] He had married his wife Elsie (née McKechnie) at Camberwell Register Office, followed by a formal ceremony held at Central Synagogue, Hallam Street, as an observance of Jewish religious tradition.

Appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1930, Smith tried politics as a candidate in the 1931 federal election for the United Australia Party, contesting the seat of Melbourne in the House of Representatives, and "seriously challenged the hitherto unassailable Dr Maloney".

A Major Barrett replied, to advise there were presently no suitable vacancies, but if he could provide the particulars of his army service and age, for future guidance, it would be appreciated.

[23][62] Following representations from the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women,[71] Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced in September 2013 that the plan, to memorialise the 482 British-born First World War Victoria Cross medal holders by laying commemorative paving stones in their home towns, would be extended to the 145 born overseas include Smith.