SMITH, CARL
Carl Keith Smith was born July 8, 1923 in Burks Falls, the son of H. S. Smith and Dorothy Caroline Smith.
Carl was with the Irish Regiment of Canada RCIC.
Carl died January 2, 1945.
Details from the Irish Regiment were placed on service on 26 August 1939 and then placed on active service on 1 September 1939 as the Irish Regiment of Canada (Machine Gun), CASF (Details), for local protection duties. Those details called out on active service disbanded on 31 December 1940.
The regiment mobilized the Irish Regiment of Canada (Machine Gun), CASF for active service on 24 May 1940. It was redesignated as the Irish Regiment of Canada, CASF on 12 August 1940; and as the 1st Battalion, The Irish Regiment of Canada, CASF on 7 November 1940. It embarked for Great Britain on 28 October 1942. It landed in mainland Italy on 10 November 1943, as part of the 11th Infantry Brigade, 5th Canadian Armoured Division. Between 20 and 27 February 1945, the battalion moved with the I Canadian Corps to North-West Europe as part of Operation Goldflake, where it fought until the end of the war. The overseas battalion disbanded on 31 January 1946. (From Wikipedia)
There are few specific details regarding the activities of the Irish on January 4, 1945, the personal report:”Memoirs of Gordie Bannerman”.
“Mezzano Italy, January 1945. While I was on my jaunt to the dentist on New Year's day our troops were astonished to see a flight of fighter bombers with US insignia roar down on a bridge in our area and attempt to strafe and bomb this bridge. Somehow they were supposed to bomb a road and bridge further north. Poor map reading or something. After all the diving and shooting, noone was hurt and the bridge left intact.
On the fourth of January we were told the tragic news that L/sgt Floyd Burton and Gnr Cowan had been killed at a crossroad near Mezzano, and Gnr Spink was badly injured. We were told it was a vehicle accident, but no further word. Floyd had been with Fox troop as a bombardier, received his promotion and was posted to 60 Battery. We were not given any particulars about the accident. In this area we had supported the clearing of the ground south of the Senio River and it looked like that was going to be our winter line….
Mezzano Italy, January 1945. Meazzano gun position was comparatively quiet with not much shelling. But our infantry had some pretty hairy scary times. They were mortared many times as just a dike separated the enemy from our troops. Some very ingenious means were thought up like throwing anti tank mines over with a jeep tube tied between a couple of posts the result was a giant sling shot. Another method was to bring up a 17 pounder anti tank gun and fire through the dike.
In this gun position I was sleeping upstairs in a great big bed and I knew it was not a good idea to sleep upstairs, but this was real luxury. One night I was awakened out of a sound sleep with the sound of a shell whistling over head. This gun fired again and again, all going well over to the rear. Mind you even though the shells were going well over I sort of wondered when he was going to drop his elevation and give us a dusting. This was likely the railroad gun and it certainly had my attention, but the bed was warm and it was clear and darn cold out, so I waited it out. Then it quit firing.
Next morning we were told this gun had dropped its shells around our rear echelon area and it had killed a Canadian Dentist, a Capt, White. The only dentist that lost his life during the war in Italy from enemy shellfire. Also likely the only time our rear echelon was shelled.”
