大象传媒

BRUMMIE BAND OF BROTHERS.
As my own service record is pretty well documented in my own story 'THE WAY I SAW IT'this
is a brief service history of my other EIGHT brothers that served in the Army between 1939-1945.
There were NINE of us serving in the British Army 1939-45 but it never dawned on me untill recently just how many of us had served at the same time untill i became interested in writing my own story for 大象传媒.WW2,and people reading it pointed out that it could be a record .
Some of us where regular soldiers and served pre-war as you will see from thier records. Two were wounded and one taken prisoner. As a family we were very lucky as we all returned home at the end of the war.

JOE:
Enlisted 1940-R.A.O.C. Served in U.K.and then India in the Army Fire Fighting Service (Later that unit was transfered to the (PioneerCorps)
Max Rank attained= Sergeant.

GEORGE:
Serving in the T.A(Birmingham Artillery
Unit)in the late 1930s. In 1939 called up for full time service. Served in the U.K.(Scapa Flow)unit then moved out to India where it was disbanded.George then transferred to the Royal Military Police .
Max rank attained=QTR.MASTER SARGEANT

JACK:
Joined North Staffs Regiment-1940.
Transfered to Royal Artillary- served in North Africa (took part in Operation Torch with the U.S forces), and Italy-mentioned in despatches at Monte- Casino.
Max rank attained=believed to be Corpral.

FRED:
Joined the Kings Royal Irish Hussars in 1933-served in the U.K, and Egypt discharged to the Reserves in 1939-re-called up again in 1939 and joined the Royal Scots Greys , served in North Africa and possibly Italy . At sometime transfered to the R.E.M.E.
Max rank attained=T.S.M.or C.S.M.

SID;
Enlisted in 1939 into the R.A,S.C.-served in the B.E.F. in France 1939/40.Transfered to the Royal Tank Corp. and was an instructor at sometime in the Westminster Dragoons. Promoted to Sergeant on a number of accasions and busted a number of times. Transfered to the Parachute Regiment and was seriously injured during the the last assault on the Rhine crossing in March 1945.
Max rank attained=Sergeant.

ARTHUR:
Enlisted in the Royal Irish 8th Hussars in 1930- served in the U.K.and Egypt. Distcharged to the reserves in 1936.Called up again in 1939.Joined the Warwickshire Yeomanry.served in the Middle East- North Africa (El-Alamein).
Max rank attained -Remained Trooper throughout service.

LES;
Enlisted 1939- Joined the R.A.S.C.served in the B.E.F.in France 1939/1940. Taken prisoner. then sent to prison camp in Germany.
Max rank attained= Corporal.

ALBERT GEORGE. (Step Brother)
Joined the R.A.S.C.1939- certainly saw service in India in later part of war.

Sadly there is now only my brother JOE(91)and myself(80) this year still surviving .
I would just like to point out that my oldes brother SAM served with the Royal Artillery and saw action in France during the FIRST world (1914/1918).
LEONARD J. SMITH.