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Canada loses it's last surviving Victoria Cross Winner

VANCOUVER, Aug. 3 /CNW Telbec/ - Sergeant (Retired) Ernest Alvia "Smokey" mith, VC, has died today at the age of 91 in Vancouver. In consultation with the Smith family and in cooperation with other agencies, a military funeral is being planned to honour Sergeant Smith.
As arrangements become definite, they will be posted to the Legion web site, http://www.pacificlegion.org/smokysmith.html , and announced to the media. A Valour Coordination Media Centre will be established at The Sutton Place Hotel at 845 Burrand St, Vancouver beginning tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Pacific Standard Time, and will remain open until the morning after the funeral.
Should the public have any enquiries, then can contact Veterans Affairs at 1-800-443-0394.
The Smith family has asked for complete privacy during their time of mourning and the media and public are asked to respect this request. Media should place all inquiries to the Valour Media Centre, via email (smith.valour@forces.gc.ca ), or by telephone (604-225-2520, ext 2496).

You can read his citation here:

http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/su...ndwar/citations

He won his cross on Oct 21/22 1944 in Italy while serving with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, part of the 1st Canadian Infantry Division.

At the going down of the sun
and in the morning

Ernest Alvia (Smokey) Smith, Canada's last surviving winner of the Victoria Cross and the only Canadian private to win the honour in the Second World War, has died at his home in Vancouver. He was 91.


Ernest Alvia (Smokey) Smith.
Smith received the award for his heroics during a critical battle in Italy in October 1944.

He is credited for single-handedly fighting off German tanks and dozens of troops on a road beside the Savio River.

Smith led his three-man, anti-tank group across an open field under heavy fire. He and a fellow soldier ended up in a ditch with a Panther approaching and firing.

When the Panther was less than 10 metres away, he jumped out of the ditch and fired at the tank, scoring a direct hit and disabling the vehicle.

Ten German troops jumped off the tank and charged, but Smith killed four of them with a tommy gun. The rest ran off.

Another tank opened fire as more of the enemy began to close in on Smith's position. Smith grabbed more ammunition and "steadfastly held his position," said the Victoria Cross citation.


Ernest Alvia (Smokey) Smith.
He fired another round at an approaching tank, forcing it to turn away. As each German neared him, Smith fired at them. The rest eventually turned and withdrew "in disorder," the citation said.

Last fall, Italians and Canadians gathered beneath the walls of an 800-year-old castle in Cesena, Italy, to honour Smith.

"Smokey Smith was a wonderful Canadian whose friendship I was delighted to have," Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson said in a statement. "Every Remembrance Day he came for tea (and Scotch!) and was a vivid reminder of our country's heroism in World War II."

"His courageous acts in 1944 at Cesena, Italy, were extraordinary and stood out against the dignity, bravery and perseverance of our Canadian Forces," she said.

A military funeral is being planned for Smith, who was from New Westminster, B.C.

Hans Molier schreef:Robin......, je hebt compleet gelijk, wij moeten ervoor zorgen dat dit soort mensen niet vergeten worden.

Maar ik wil jullie toch even attenderen op iets schandelijks waar ik onlangs mee ben geconfronteerd. Graven van Victoria Cross-ontvangers zijn gewoonweg helemaal aan het wegrotten. Deze mensen zijn destijds onderscheiden met het Victoria Cross door de koning, werden tot hun dood toe geëerd door hele naties, en hadden een onderscheiding in hun bezit die vele tienduizenden Euro's waard is. Maar zodra ze zijn overleden........ worden ze helemaal vergeten.

Heren moderators, het is geenzins mijn bedoeling om reclame te maken voor mijn beide websites, maar ik heb daar al enige discussies op gang gebracht. Ook foto's van deze verwaarloosde graven zijn hierop terug te vinden. Zie :
http://www.dvdhoven.nl/Victoria-Cross/v ... =2441#2441
http://www.worldatwar.nl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=871

Even voor alle duidelijkheid, ik vind dus dat geen enkel graf er zo bij mag liggen. Maar wat hier gebeurd is gewoon zéér en zéér triest. Ik hoop ook van harte dat de moderators de links willen laten staan. Het is denk ik een algemeen probleem dat zeker enige aandacht verdiend.