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About
239754Pte. Eric "Smudger" Smith
British Army 1st Btn. King's Own Royal (Lancaster) Regiment
from:Peasley Cross, St Helens.
My father Eric Smith was part of a Vickers machine gun section and was captured on the Greek Island of Leros on 16th of November 1943 after an intense four-day battle with invading German forces and incessant air attacks by the Luftwaffe. My father spoke very little about the war and you had to coax stories out of him. His main gripe was the lack of air cover, obsolete equipment, and incompetent allied command. My father spent some time in the American Hospital in Athens post battle. He was wounded in the Allied air raid of 21st of July 1944 on Brux, suffering a broken pelvis.Incredibly I knew nothing of these events till just recently, having researched his war history.
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