Unfortunately we have no information about A E Smith prior to his service life.

Smith’s service number is 1942 or later – so he would have been processed through the General Service Corps. We do not know when Smith joined the Essex Regiment, but it may have been in the build-up to D Day, though nearly 200 reinforcements joined the Battalion between the 6th of June and the 9th of July when Smith was captured.

[See Regimental badge – Essex]

Time in Normandy

2nd Essex landed on Gold beach in the second wave on D Day, skirting Bayeux via Ryes, and seizing the high ground between Sommervieu and St Sulpice. Fighting south in the following days they were re-enforced on the 10th. Next day there is a major engagement at Verrierres Farm near Bernieres (at what is now known as Essex Wood) when they suffered further heavy casualties. Further re-enforcements arrived on the 13th, the 17th and the 21st.

On the 8th of July, an attack was mounted to deal with a concentration of enemy in the area of Bois de St Germaine (the war diary misses out 8th to 11th of July and these details are from a doctoral dissertation by Andrew Holdburn who apparently had access to notes prepared later by the person who should have written the war diary).

The Glosters were to hold the right flank. The South Wales Borderers in the middle were to advance 2km from La Butte (near Saint-Paul-de-Vernay) and take the road junction at “Granville” (Crauville) then the next junction on the lateral road from Hottot les Bagues to Caumont L’Evente. 2 Essex to the left, with tank support, were to cut the road to Caumont at La-Croix des Landes.

However, the Germans had also launched an attack that day using all 3 divisions of the 277 Regiment backed up with armour from 12th Panzer. It was an area of dense bocage with small fields. Mines hampered the Allied tanks and much close fighting occurred. The Battalion, aware of the lack of progress by other units and having enemy on three sides, halted, and dug in. The tank support withdrew promising to return in the morning.

On the next day (the 9th), before the tanks returned, there was a German attack on their positions. The return of the tanks plus artillery and air support allowed 2 Essex to hold their position that day and overnight despite further attacks. 20 men from 2 Essex lost their lives in the action and Smith was one of those captured.