| Surname: | Smith |
| Initials: | H W |
| Rank: | Private |
| Army Number: | 831853. |
| Notes: | 17 Field Regt TA attached 51 (Highland) Div Pro Coy. Home address: 44 Gymnasium Street, Ipswich, Suffolk. Casualty List 287/5, BEF, France, Missing, attached to 51 (H) Div Pro Coy, 10/5-16/6/1940. Casualty List 475/2, BEF, France, previously reported Missing now detained in France, 17 Field Regiment RA attached to 51 (H) Div Pro Coy, previous List 280. Casualty List 1066, BEF, France, previously reported Detained in Unoccupied France now not detained. 17 Field Regiment RA attached to 51 (H) Div Pro Coy. Casualty List 1446/7, Italy, Wounded, 9 Commando, 19/3/1944, shown on Royal Artillery List. 22/10/49 He was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, MID. rank Bde, RA Field & Army Commando. Address:- 15 Cranner Avenue, Canterbury, Kent. Harold William Smith. |
Decoration Record: | |
| Decoration: | Mention in Despatches (London Gazette: WO 373/62 Page: 435 Feb. 12, 1943) |
| Citation: | MID. 17 Field Regt TA attached 51 (Highland) Div Pro Coy. Captures St. Valery En Caux 11/6/40 serving with 51 Div Pro Coy. Escaped Illies 28/6/40, Interned St. Hippolyte, Nimes 29/2/41. Left Gibraltar 5/2/43. Arrived Gourock 10/2/43.Citation: 11/6/1940 captured ST VALERY EN CAUX - On 11 Jun 1940 while serving with the 51 Div, CMP at ST VALERY EN CAUX, I was captured on the beach. I was perfunctorily searched, but was never interrogated. next day we were marches eastwards. We passed through DOULLENS, ST POL, BETHUNE and LA BASSEE. On 28 Jun 40 I escaped from the Line of March near ILLIES with Cpl, CARTER, CMP (S/P (F) 558) and L/Cpl FRYER, FSP., (S/Pg (F) 301). We obtained help from a family in ILLIES, who gave us food and civilian clothes and later an old farmer gave us more food and 200 francs, and hid us in his "shooting box" near HERLIES. We then decided to separate, as it was too dangerous to be seen together. At end of Jul 40 I set out for CROIX, S E of ROUBAIX, where I had some friends. When I got to LOOS, I was befriended by an Englishman, who had served in the last war, and had married a French wife. He introduced me t a Frenchman who was an official of the fire brigade for another town in northern France. in consequence I went to this town, and was enrolled as a member of the Fire Brigade. I could speak very little French, but I stayed here for two months, and the other firemen treated mw with the greatest kindness. The Germans made the Firemen wear armbands with the Eagle and Swastika over their French uniforms. I used to wear this also, as I could not with safety do otherwise. I likewise received a special identity card from the German authorities. In Sept some Gestapo men came to the town, and sometimes made use of the Fire Brigade barracks. My friends therefore thought it better for me to move elsewhere. On 20 Sept 40 I went to RADINGHEM and CROIX near ARMENTIERES. For four months I lived by turns in this place and CROIX. I had friends in both places, and it was thought safer for me to alternate between them. In Jan 41 I went to SECLIN near LILLE. Here I got some helpers who gave me false papers and arranged by journey to MARSEILLES, where I arrived on 9 Feb 41. I lived in a lodging house here for about three weeks when I was sent into internment at St HIPPOLYTE DU FORT, near NIMES.. On 3 Mar 41 I escaped from St HIPPOLITE with two other British PW named William THOMAS and Robert BROWN (not the Brown referred to in S/PC (F) 601). We got out of the Camp very early in the morning, and made our way to MARSWEILLES, whence we hoped to reach SPAIN. Here I met a Frenchman who gave us some money, took us to a railway station, and bought us three tickets so PERPIGNAN. We arrived there at about 0400 hrs on 5 Mar 41, and waled to LWE BOULOU, about 9 miles North of the Franco-Spanish frontier. We slept in a Workman's hut in some waste ground. Later we went into the village. In our innocence we thought we could secure a guide into SPAIN for 50 FRS, and as our French was very bad, out attempt to dos so made us very conspicuous. We were accordingly arrested by the police. On 6 Mar 41 we were taken to CERET, and remanded for 37 days in prison in PERPIGNAN. Later, we were sentenced to one years imprisonment and a fine of 1000 francs for being in possession of false papers. We appealed against this sentence. On 2 May 41 we were transferred to a prison in MONTPELLIER . On 6 Jun 41 our appeal was heard, The US consul at MARSEILLES paid the expenses of the advocate. On 4 Oct 41 we were released and returned to our advocate. On 4 Oct 41 we were released and returned to ST HIPPOLYTE DU FORT, The remainder of our sentence was annulled. From this point my experiences are described in Pte. INGLIS' Report (S/PC (F) 1076). |