- SURNAME
Smollan
- FORENAME
Harold
- UNIT
7 Bn (West Yorkshire Regiment,attached) (A Company)
- RANK
Private
- NUMBER
14820558
- DATE OF DEATH
7th April 1945
- AGE
19
- GRAVESITE
Becklingen War Cemetery,Germany 15.E.12
- ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
born Newcastle-on-Tyne
resided Newcastle-on-Tyne
son of Henry and Annie Smollan,Montreal,Province of Quebec,Canada
brother of Dennis Smollan,died 7.2.1943 age 21 as 1520153 AC1 51 Sq RAFVR
brother of Joshua Smollan,died 30.1.1944 age 29 as 1109606 Sgt 608 Sq RAFVR
forename "Hyman" (PRO)
service number "14820556" (PRO - error)
KIA Germany
E-mail received from Bill Anderson,Captain (Retired)
Re: Pte Harold Smollan, 7(LI)Bn Para , died Neustadt 07 April 1945
Im doing research with Harolds existing family (One brother Abi still alive in Canada, and his cousin Stella still alive in Newcastle)
I have met with Jack Lockwood, Harolds best friend in A Coy, who lived not far from me when I lived in Beverley, East Yorks.
The story would have told that Harold died on the Neustadt bridge along with 21 of his fellow Paras - but he did not!
He was leading A Coy/The main Battalion along the B442 when he was killed in an explosion, a land mine as first thought
There were three 200kg devices placed under the road - in order to prevent armour using it to gain entry to Neustadt
He died instantly, and was buried in the garden of the farm opposite by the Canadian forces who followed 7(LI)Bn the next day
He laid to rest there until 1955 - when he was exhumed and buried with his comrades in Becklingen.
Jack Lockwood retraced his steps in 2005 and stood at the spot where Harold died - the German who owns the farm came over and started to chat.
His name is Karl Lundenberg - and as a child of 9 he witnessed the advance of the 7th and saw the german in the grass who detonated the booby-trap devices but thankfully only one of the three exploded
DATE OF DEATH:
07-Apr-1945
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