205621 Arthur Reginald Smith British Army The Corps of Royal Electrical Engineers from:2A Colville Street, Southampton My Dad Passed away in November 1953 when I was only 3 1/2 yrs old.
My only memory of him was that he had a Royal Enfield Motor Cycle, (Bright Red).I was 3 when he put me on the petrol tank & took me for a ride. Mum went off at him, I was fine & so began my life as a petrol-head. Time passed. Mum re-married & we moved away from Lordshill, Southampton, Breaking all ties with Dad's Family.
Fast-Forward. to the 1990's. I'm a grown man with a wife, kids, mortgage, the full set.
I went from my home in Milton Keynes to see my mother's cousin in Southampton near where I spent my early years, She welcomed us in with open arms, knowing Who I was, after 40 odd years.
We talked for a long while and Aunt Shiela told us about my Dad & what he was like. She also told me about Dad's sister. We found her in the white pages & within half an hour we were re-united.
According to my aunt Beatrice (Bunty) my Dad was in the Royal Hampshire Reg't sappers & my dad was a Saboture blowing-up enemy ammo & fuel dumps. During this period, either in North Africa or perhaps it was later in Italy or even in Normandy, Dad got very badly burned (60 Per cent) and was treated by regimental medics.
I recently located my father's grave in Hollybrook Cemetery, Southampton, Before saying a sad farewell & flying back home to Australia. When I married, back in 1971 I had no idea that it could have been my father-in-law (who was a medic in same reg't) that I had to thank for my life and that of my father and now my children & grandkids.
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