H
e was the foster son of Mrs E.E. Smith of Docking, and he worked at Hall Farm, Docking, as a milkman before being called up. He was serving with 7th Battalion, The Royal Norfolk Regiment (Private 5774990) with the British Expeditionary Force in north western France when he died on 11th June 1940, aged 22 years. His name is commemorated on the Dunkirk Memorial (Column 44) in the British War Graves Section of Dunkirk Town Cemetery, and in common with many others he has no known grave. By 4th June 1940 the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk had been completed, and at the end of the battle for France elements of the remaining British forces fell back to St Valery, about 15 miles south west of Dieppe, closely followed by German armoured columns, expecting to be evacuated to England from there by sea, but thick fog on the night of 11th/12th June 1940 prevented this. Over 8,000 British soldiers fell into German hands, with only some 1,350 escaping. He died in the confusion and fighting of the final hours of the St Valery action.
