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Italy
The Italians had capitulated while the force was still at sea. The sinking of HMS Abdiel by a mine in the harbour, however, r...
Sergeant. Thomas ‘Smokey’ Furness. 2nd Parachute Battalion.
Thomas Furness was born on the 28 February 1914, and came from Ferryhill Co. Durham. [1] He enlisted at Durham, into The East Yorkshire Regiment on the 7 November 1932. [1]
He served in Palestine with the 2nd Bn, The East Yorkshire Regiment, from September 1936 to December 1937, when he returned to England.
In September 1940 he transferred to the Army Physical Training Corps, and in March 1942 he joined the Army Air Corps as a Sergeant and Physical Training Instructor. After a year of this he volunteered to become an Army Parachutist.
He was on Parachute Course 60, at RAF Ringway, 12 to 29 April 1943. His Parachute Instructors comments: ‘Excellent in every respect.’ [2]
Thomas joined the 2nd Parachute Battalion in North Africa, at Matmore in Algeria in May 1943, and began training for future parachute operations in the Mediterranean area. On the 28 June 1943 the Battalion moved to Sousse in Tunisia, in preparation for Operation ‘Fustian’.
On the night of the 13 July 1943 Sgt. Furness took off with the rest of the battalion to carry out a parachute assault to capture the Primosole Bridge over the River Simeto in Sicily. Unfortunately, he was captured on the 17 July, and sent to Germany, and Stalag 8A, POW No. 27858.
See his report to M.I.9. for details of his experiences.
After his return to England, in May 1945, and after his survivors leave he rejoined the 2nd Bn, The Parachute Regiment, and served with them in Palestine in 1946 to 1948. By February 1946 he had been promoted to Colour Sergeant and was serving as a Company Quartermaster Sergeant.
As a Warrant Officer Class II, He was awarded the British Empire Medal for his distinguished service in Palestine, which was announced in the London Gazette, dated 7 January, 1949.
By 1949 he had been promoted to Warrant Officer Class I and was serving as the Regimental Sergeant Major of the 12th Battalion (Yorkshire), The Parachute Regiment (TA), AT Thornbury Barracks, Pudsey, west Yorkshire, and was a member of the Battalion Football Team! In the December 1952 edition of the Pegasus Journal, on page 30, was the following: ‘Santa Claus came in the person of RSM. Furness, and even the children couldn’t tell-which, of course, is the prime object of being Santa. During the whole party time the children were kept greatly amused by the antics of-the clowns, namely RSM. Furness, and Ptes. Burdon and Tebbs.’
He remained the RSM of the 12th Battalion until early 1953 and was then posted to the Depot The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces in Aldershot, where he had to take a reduction in rank to Warrant officer Class II.
In January 1954 he left the Depot and was posted to the 2nd Bn, The Parachute Regiment, where he took up the post as CSM. of Headquarter Company, and accompanied them on the deployment to the Canal Zone in Egypt. However, his stay there was brief and before the end of the year he was posted back to the Depot as CSM. of Headquarter Company. Here he fully immersed himself in the Warrant Officers and Sergeants Mess activities, producing an outstanding Mess function for Christmas 1954. He was also a member of the Depot Rugby and Cricket Teams.
By January 1956 he had taken over as the CSM. of the Holding and Drafting Company at the Depot, where in the October 1956 edition of the Pegasus Journal it was reported that: ‘Now that CSM. Furness has handed over the job of Acting-RSM. to Mr. Duffy he has become decorator-in-chief of the Company lines. He is trying, with considerable success, to convert the Waterloo “doss-house” into a five-star hotel. Floors have been stained and everything has had a general spring clean. We have at long last got steel lockers and hospital-type beds, which all go to give the place a completely new look.’
Later in 1956 he handed over as CSM. of the Holding and Drafting Company to CSM. Dent and took over as the CSM. of Training Company, where he was also a member of the Company Football Team.
In 1957 the Depot received a visit from Mr. George William Chafer, V.C. who had specifically come to see his old friend – ‘Smokey’!
In late 1958, when a Parachute Regimental Association Branch (PRA) was set up in Aldershot, ‘Smokey’ was one of its first and most enthusiastic members. 1959 saw ‘Smokey’ move to Pre-Parachute Selection Company (‘P’ Company) as CSM, but he was also, unofficially, labelled the Company Psychiatrist!
The Parachute Regiment Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ (Past and Present) Dinner Club was set up in 1959, and was held in the Depot Gymnasium at Maida Barracks. The success of this new venture, and the following two years was mainly due to ‘Smokey’ and his Team.
In January 1962 he accompanied No.1 (Guards) Independent Parachute Company to Singapore on a three week jungle training exercise in Malaya.
After serving at the Depot for over six years, in October 1962, he was posted to the Army Air Transport Training and Development Centre at Old Sarum, as the Regimental Sergeant Major. Here he fully immersed himself in the units sports teams and at the end of June 1963 the unit held their Annual Sports Day in the form of a triangular athletics match between AATDC, RAF Old Sarum and the JSNCGD from Winterbourne Gunner. The AATDC won 15 out of 18 events to carry the day.
From the Pegasus Journal Spring 1965, pages 56 and 57.
COMINGS AND GOINGS AT THE AATDC.
The news from the AATDC. over the last three months is of continual hail and farewell as postings in and out occur so frequently that a stranger might be excused for thinking that he was at a transit camp and not a unit. To record them all would read like a nominal roll but it would be impossible to write about the Centre without mentioning that RSM. (Smokey) Furness, BEM., has finally hung up his Beret and left the service.
He was dined out by the Sergeants in December and given a farewell presentation by his successor RSM. Hicks. ‘Smokey’ joined up thirty-two years ago and after service in the East Yorkshire Regiment and the Army Physical Training Corps joined the Parachute Regiment during the war.
Since then he must have been known by every parachutist. RSM. of the 12th (Yorkshire) Battalion when it reformed after the war, for many years doyen of the Depot and a guiding light of P-Company and finally at the AATDC he has always done everything for his unit and the service in general. A person extremely rich in character will leave the service the poorer for his leaving.
When he was leaving the Army his Certificate of Service book showed his Military Conduct as Exemplary.
His Testimonial: ‘A Warrant Officer who has given outstanding service for thirty two years, of which twenty two years have been spent in The Parachute Regiment. He has been a most pleasant personality and a strong sense of humour. He has a marked sense of duty, a wide experience of man management and great enthusiasm. He is loyal and trustworthy and I would commend him to any employer." It was signed by T. Furness, RSM., and then signed by the Commandant of the Army Air Transport Training and Development Centre, Old Sarum, 9 October 1964.
Thomas ‘Smokey’ Furness was officially discharged from the Army on the 18 December 1964. [1]
Service with the Colours, showing Transfers, if any, to other Corps.
Corps. Country. From. To. Years and Days.
East Yorks Regt. Home. 7. 11. 32. 13. 9. 36. 3 and 311.
17.11.32 to 15.9.40. Palestine. 14. 9. 36. 10. 12. 37. 1 and 88.
A.P.T.C. Home. 11. 12. 37. 14. 5. 43. 5 and 155.
16.9.40 to 16.3.42. N. Africa. 15. 5. 43. 13. 7. 43. 0 and 60.
A.A.C. Germany (POW). 14. 7. 43. 3. 5. 45. 1 & 294.
17.3.42 to 29.3.43. Home. 4. 5. 45. 23. 3. 46. 0 and 324.
30.3.43 to 15.8.49. M.E.F. 24. 3. 46. 25. 4. 48. 2 and 33.
Parachute Regt. Home. 26. 4. 48. 24. 1. 54. 5 and 274.
16.8.49 to 18.12.64. M.E.L.F. 25. 1. 54. 27. 8. 54. 0 & 215.
Home. 28. 8. 54. 18. 12. 64. 10 and 113.
TOTAL. 32 years and 42 days
MEDALS AWARDED.
British Empire Medal.
1939/45 Star.
Italy Star.
France & Germany Star.
Defence Medal.
1939/45 War Medal.
General Service Medal with Clasp – Palestine.
Coronation Medal 1953.
Courses completed.
P.T. Course, Aldershot. 5. 5. 36 to 6. 8. 36. 2nd Class.
Battle School Course No 2. 2. 1. 43 to 26. 1. 43. Grade ‘B+’.
G.S.7 Course at C.W. (UK) 3. 12. 46 to 20. 12. 46. Grade A-X.
T.A., P.S.I. Course No 1. School of Admin. 7. 3. 49 to 19. 3. 49. Grade ‘E’.
No 14 Drill Course. 16. 4. 50 to 27. 5. 50.
Qualified Parachutist.
NOTES:
[1] Certificate of Service book.
[2] Parachute Course Report. RAF Ringway. April 1943.
Written and researched by Robert Hilton and John Howes.
