Sergeant Walter SJ Smith

Walter Stanley John Smith was born on the 3 August 1918, and came from Worthing in Sussex. Before he joined the Army he worked as a plasterer.

‘Jack’ Smith enlisted into The Royal Sussex Regiment on the 15 September 1939. [1]

He saw action in the France and Flanders campaign in 1940, with the 5th Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment of the 133rd Infantry Brigade of the 44th (Home Counties) Infantry Division. He was probably still serving with this unit when it was sent to the western desert in May 1942. He was reported as wounded in action on the 27th Oct 1942.

He then served throughout the rest of the North African campaign, until the surrender of the axis Forces in Tunisia in May 1943, and went on to serve in the campaign in Sicily in July-August 1943.

He was a Corporal, aged 25, when he volunteered for Airborne Forces and did Parachute Course K66 at Ramat David, in Palestine, 13 – 25 September 1943. [2]

Jack then served in the 11th Parachute Battalion and would have returned home in January 1944, and was then billeted in the Leicestershire area. He had an older brother, Reuben Gerald Edward, who had joined the 10th Parachute Battalion.

On Sunday, 17 September 1944, he took off in a Dakota aircraft of the 61st Troop Carrier Group, USAAF from Barkston Heath aerodrome, bound for DZ X in Holland as part of the Advance Party for the rest of his battalion, due the next day as part of the 2nd Lift of Operation ‘Market-Garden’.

He was wounded and taken prisoner during the Battle of Arnhem on 24 September 1944, and sent to the temporary Airborne Hospital at Apeldoorn. He was then sent to Stalag 11B at Falingbostel, where he arrived on the 5th October 1944. Here he was assigned the POW No. 118270. On 24 October 1944, he was sent to Stalag 8C.

A short account appeared in the Worthing Gazette, 18th October 1944.

MEN OF ARNHEM.

Two Worthing Brothers In Missing List.

Added to the list of local lads who went through the hell at Arnhem are two Worthing brothers, former pupils of Elm-grove School.

They are Private Reuben and Sergeant Jack Smith, both serving with the Airborne Troops.

Reuben’s wife lives at 37, Fircroft Avenue, North Lancing, and their mother resides at 218, Ham-road.

Both are reported as missing, presumed prisoners-of-war at Arnhem.

They joined up together nearly two years ago and went through the African Campaign, Reuben going through Italy as well.

Prior to joining up they were in the building trade. Private R. Smith married and has two children.

Mrs. Smith received the official notice on Monday, and their mother received hers on Friday.

WOUNDED AT DUNKIRK.

Sergeant Jack Smith was wounded first when he struggled through the hell of Dunkirk and again at Alamein when his hand and arm were badly hurt, having nearly a hundred minute pieces of shrapnel in his flesh. He went with the 8th Army as far as Sicily, then he came home and joined the Parachute Regiment, and about two months ago was promoted to Sergeant.

He went on Sunday and dropped at Arnhem, and has since been reported missing.

Jack, who holds the Africa Star and the 8th Army Star, was a master plasterer and worked for several Worthing firms before he joined up in 1939.

He was discharged from further military service on the 24 October 1945. [1]

NOTES:

[1] The Parachute Regiment, Transfer & Enlistment Book 17, page 01.

[2] Parachute Course Report. September 1943.