Joseph Smithen, son of Harry and Mary Smithen, of Pendleton, Salford, Lancashire and husband of Elsie Smithen, of Pendleton, enlisted into The Border Regiment and volunteered for airborne forces.Private Smithen successfully completed his Glider training and was posted to 1st (Airborne) Battalion, The Border Regt. He took part in Operation Market Garden (Arnhem).

Pte Smithen was killed in action on 19 September 1944, aged 27. He was originally given a field burial amongst an isolated group of graves near the junction of Utrechtseweg and Hoofdlaan roads and was reinterred to Arnhem War Cemetery on 6 September 1945.

If you are part of Pte Smithen’s family and would like to complete this biography, you can apply to the curator to do so. To do this you will need to become a member of ParaData and select the 'friend or family member' option on the registration form. If you would like to find out more about becoming a member please visit our registration page.

Members of ParaData can submit their material by clicking on the 'add your info' button below.

Grave image by Bob Hilton.