Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A good Second War 1944 immediate ‘North West Europe’ M.M. awarded to Private T. H. Smith, 6th Battalion, Highland Light Infantry, for his gallantry as a Bren Gunner during a series of charges over open ground against German positions in Dorset Wood, Rischden, north of Geilenkirchen, 30 December 1944. Firing from the hip, Smith cleared several machine-gun posts and personally accounted for a number of enemy troops

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (14212112 Pte. T. H. Smith. H.L.I.) unit officially corrected, very fine £600-800

M.M. London Gazette 5 April 1945, the Recommendation states:

‘On 30 December 1944, Private Smith was the Bren Gunner in a section which was engaged in a Company counter-attack against enemy positions in Dorset Wood, Rischden, north of Geilenkirchen. In the face of heavy machine-gun and mortar fire, he advanced with his section across 400 yards of open country, firing his Bren Gun from the hip with such accuracy and determination that he killed several of the enemy in dug-out positions on the edge of the wood and drove the remainder from their posts. Without hesitation, Private Smith continued to advance into the wood in close pursuit of the retreating enemy, until confronted by a further enemy machine-gun post, so sited that it might have held up the advance of the Company. Private Smith immediately charged the post, still firing his Bren Gun from the hip, to such good effect that one of the enemy was killed, whereupon the others surrendered to him.

By his courage and desire to close with and destroy the enemy Private Smith undoubtedly inflicted considerable casualties on the enemy through his own personal efforts and was largely responsible for enabling his section to secure its objective and to re-establish contact with a sub-unit of another Battalion which had been isolated for several hours.’