SMITH, William Henry

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Rank:

Lance Bombardier

Unit / Base:

7 Commando

Regiment/Corps:

Royal Artillery

Service:

Army

Service Number:

904285

P.O.W. number:

29359

P.O.W. camps:

Camp PG66, Capua, Italy

Camp PG52, Pian de Coreglia, Chiavari, Italy

Stalag VIII-B (8B)(Stalag 344), Lamsdorf Poland

Born:

Saturday, October 9, 1915

William Henry Smith, a Clerk from Welling , Kent, enlisted into the Armed Forces in April 1939 and volunteered for the commandos after their formation in 1940 [1]. Corporal Smith, No.7 Commando attached to Layforce, was reported missing 2 June 1941, later confirmed prisoner of war [2][3][see notes].

In May 1945 Corporal Smith wrote on his liberation report "The march from Lamsdorf -Silesia towards W. Germany was hardship and many hundreds of men died. I hope people responsible can be traced and suitably punished" [1].

Sources

[1] Dir. of Mil. Int.: Liberated Prisoner of War Interrogation Questionnaire 1945/6 / National Archives file WO344/290/1.
[2] Casualty Lists / National Archives file WO417/28, WO417/29, and WO417/93.
[3] Prisoners of War / National Archives file WO392/1, WO392/11, and WO392/21.

Notes

In his liberation report of 4 May 1945 at [1] above Cpl. Smith writes place and date of original capture as "Bardia -Tobruk. 4 June 41." However all Casualty Lists at [2] show Crete. Operation Addition at Bardia took place 20 April 1941. The rearguard action at Crete 1 June 1941.

Additional content:

'Rearguard action on Crete'

Bardia - Operation Addition

Archive pages :

No 7 Commando

Layforce

Prisoners of War