大象传媒

Hi there,

I'd like to share with readers some meories of my Grandfather,Driver Charlie Smith,Royal Army Service Corps who was brought up here in Buckhaven,Fife on Scotlands East Coast..He was a Joiner and Carpenter to trade and was also a Caretaker for a number of years at the local Miners Welfare Institute..He served as a Driver in the North Africa Campaign then was posted to a Rifle Company,attached to the British 1st Army and fought at Tobruk,El Alamein (where he was wounded by Shrapnel from a German Tank) and then fought against Italian forces at Tripoli and Benghazi in Libya...After this time he took part in the invasion of Sicily,then landed under fire at Salerno Beachead in Italy...finally he ended up in Greece fighting Communist Guerilla fighters in the Mountains after taking part in the Liberation of Athens...

Although my Grandfather is a hero to me (I have his 5 War Medals) he was a modest man who never fully recovered from some nasty respiratory disease he picked up in the Desert and died after a Lung Illness in the mid 1960's....I do not know his Service number Unfortunately and only know his 'War Stories' from these memories being passed on to me via my Grandmother,Mary Smith (unfortunately also deceased now)..He was known after the War back here in Scotland as 'Tobruk Charlie'but unfortunately i have never met anyone who served with him or knew him from those times and would dearly love to...

He had some amazing and Harrowing sories to tell relating to his Wartime Service..He was the victim of an attempted mugging by an Arab in Cairo and cut the Mans ear off with a bayonet!!!

Whilst driving in a R.A.S.C. Truck Convoy near Tobruk a German Sniper shot through the Windscreen of his mates Cab in the truck directly in front of him,blowing the poor Drivers thumb off and the whole convoy had to be halted till the Sniper was Dealt With..He also fought very tough Italian Alpini Troops in Libya,who were convinced (due to S.S. rumours) that the Scots would take no prisoners,so imagine how surprised they were when after the Battle the Scots gave them Cigarettes and Measures of Whisky!!! He had nothing against the Italians or Afrika Korps P.O.W.s he met in Libya and often chatted to them,swapping Family snapshots and Souvenirs...after landing under fire at Salerno he dug a foxhole in the sand and took cover..his friend was shot in the head at this point less than ten foot away from him and killed instantly..my Grandfather found this very difficult to deal with as you can imagine..He also spoke of fighting Elite German Paratroopers in Italy who had to be wounded to surrender and were very fanatical and excellent soldiers...His Favourite War moment was when he took part in the Liberation of Athens..he said the people were so grateful and they marched proudly down the Street behind their Piper..

Although he died a long time ago i hope that his memory will live on through his Wartime Experiences and if anyone happens to recall serving beside my Gradfather please Email me or reply to my Contribution..

Best Wishes..

Rab Watson
Museum Assistant
Levenmouths War Project
Buckhaven
Fife
Scotland

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