Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare post-war M.B.E., Second World War clandestine operations M.C. group of ten to Colonel W. V. G. Smith, Royal Fusiliers, late Lancashire Fusiliers, who was decorated for his services in S.O.E.’s Albanian Mission 1943-44, in which capacity he carried out numerous acts of sabotage

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, M.B.E. (Military) Member’s 2nd type breast badge; Military Cross, G.VI.R., reverse officially dated ‘1945’; 1939-45 Star; Africa Star, clasp, 1st Army; Italy Star; Defence and War Medals, M.I.D. oak leaf; General Service 1918-62, 1 clasp, Cyprus (Major, M.C., L.F.); Thailand, Order of the Crown, Commander’s neck badge, silver, gilt and enamels; Thailand, Order of the Crown, breast badge, silver, gilt and enamels, together with a Lancashire Fusiliers cap badge, generally good very fine (10) £4000-5000

M.B.E. London Gazette 13 June 1964.

M.C. London Gazette 15 March 1945. The original recommendation states:

‘Major W. V. G. Smith has operated as a British Liaison Officer in Albania from 15 October 1943 to December 1944. He is due to return to that country. During his period in the Field he has acted as Second-in-Command of an Area Mission and latterly, since February 1944, as Commander of the Mission itself. During his period in the Field, his loyalty, courage and devotion to duty have been of the highest order under the most trying conditions. Particularly valuable have been his strong and tactful handling of the F.N.C. Military and Political leaders, upon which the success of the Allied Mission so much depend.

He has also been engaged in numerous reconnaissance and demolition operations of a hazardous nature, of which the following are examples:

In January 1944, he entered territory fully controlled and patrolled by the Germans, in order to try and extricate three American nurses hiding in Berat. At very considerable risk to himself, he spent some days in this area and only gave up the attempt when he was betrayed by the local population and found himself surrounded by the enemy.

In February 1944, he successfully destroyed the road between Berat-Kelgyre, with a small partisan escort. He approached the road under the cover of darkness. Preparation of the road for demolition took some time with the means available and before this preparation was completed, he came under heavy machine-gun fire. Major Smith completed the task and the road was so succesfully destroyed that it was never repaired by the Germans, who were thereby denied one of their valuable lines of communication.

In June of 1944, during the German push of that month, he played a leading part in the successful extrication, without loss, of 13 Allied personnel. During this period Allied personnel were in great danger of being surrounded and captured, and their escape and present safety are largely due to Major Smith’s courage, coolness and decision.

Major Smith is strongly recommended for the immediate award of the Military Cross.’

William Victor Granville Smith was born in Hyde, Cheshire in April 1920 and was granted an emergency commission in the 2/5th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers in September 1941, following service in the ranks with the B.E.F. Further active service ensued with “Paiforce” and the 1st Army in North Africa in 1942, but in August of the following year he transferred to Special Operations Executive (S.O.E.), most likely via a contact in that force’s Cairo establishment. Having then completed his parachute course at Kabrit on 18 September 1943, he was prepared for his first mission to Albania, parachuting in to that country in mid-October.

Thereafter, until his return to the U.K. for a debriefing in December 1944, he carried out numerous acts of sabotage, his thorough destruction of a section of the Berat-Kelgyre road in February 1944 being a case in point. But over and above the operational side of his agenda, Smith built up an excellent general knowledge of both North and South Albania, including a valuable understanding of the complex and often contentious viewpoints of the competing partisans - indeed it was for these very reasons that he was recalled to London at the end of 1944 - and then quickly ordered back into the Field in the New Year.

Luckily for posterity’s sake, Smith’s official reports from Albania largely survive, a classic example being his summary of the period October 1943 to June 1944 (a copy of which is included). Apart from the fact this report contains a gripping account of his Mission’s movements at the time of the German offensive in June 1944, it also includes some pretty frank commentary on the merits of individual partisan leaders - ‘It is inevitable that the Chief of the General Staff should be included in this list; his appointment is the only justification for his inclusion. Completely dumb, a Major in the old Army ... ’

So, too, some equally scathing remarks on equipment:

‘In my experience the only satisfactory arms are the Tommy gun and the Sten. The Marlin and M.P. 40 are not only unreliable but very dangerous; we had many accidents with both these automatics - Major Layzell lost his life.’

And some friendly advice for prospective British Liaison Officers (B.L.Os):

‘B.L.Os are still arriving in the country like Father Christmasses. Certainly before they leave the country their kit will have been lost, destroyed or captured many times over - they should, therefore, be discouraged from taking any more kit than they can comfortably carry in a rucksack.

It must always be borne in mind that the partisan is an undisciplined individual; he is in fact an individual and he resents very strongly any form of direct order. On the other hand, it is possible to give him an order, using an indirect method, the best way being to take him into one’s confidence.

Money must never on any account be offered to a partisan in repayment for services rendered. He will regard it as an insult. If you wish to reward a partisan, write a report to his commandant. Never on any account threaten to strike a partisan - the code is sudden death to the offender, regardless of nationality or rank ... ’

Having also been mentioned in despatches for his services in Albania (London Gazette 1 June 1944), Smith finally returned to the U.K. in October 1946, following which he enjoyed a spate of post-war staff appointments, among them Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quarter-Master General of 6 Infantry Brigade in Munster between March 1962 and November 1963 - for which services he was awarded his M.B.E. Having latterly transferred to the Royal Fusiliers, he was advanced to Lieutenant-Colonel in August 1965 and served as Military Attache in Bangkok from April 1970 until his retirement, in which period he received his Thai decorations.