FREED FROM OBLIVION --- LEST WE FORGET

Private Harold Smedley (* ca. 1925 – 07-10-1944) (Reg.nr: 14425560) 

Although it has now been more than 75 years since the end of the Second World War, it is still important to commemorate all Allies who were involved in fighting in and around Goirle. These victims of Goirle are people who fought for our freedom in or around Goirle during the Second World War. They died as a result of acts of war. G. Kobes wrote in 2016: "I would like to remind you of the casualties among the Allied forces. To the young men who, far from their homeland, had to pay with their lives for the fight for our freedom. The price is unimaginably high, there is an empty place in millions of families. They, along with many others, gave their lives for our freedom." Private Harold Smedley is one of them. He died on 7 October 1944 on the border of Belgium and the Netherlands at the age of 19.

General info:

Harold Smedley, born about 1925

*Nationality :British *Part : 49th. British Infantry Division (West Riding) *Unit : 4th. Battalion The Lincolnshire Regiment *Registration number : 14425560 *Rank : Private

What happened?

Goirle was almost liberated on Wednesday 4 October. The Allies had liberated the neighbouring villages of Poppel and Hilvarenbeek. Thursday 5 October was a very tough day.

Friday, October 6, 1944. The second day after the attack started to liberate Goirle. It is going to be another tough day. 14:00 Head of the Air Defence dept. Goirle walked to Riel this morning. Along the Rielse Dijk he sees many German machine gun nests. In the few hours that he had been away, a lot had changed in Goirle.

The residents of the Poppelseweg and part of Bergstraat had to leave their homes and were housed in the centre of the village. Front, back, left and right movements can be observed. In the afternoon, the Head of the Air Defense in the Bergstraat came thundering in when four tiger tanks arrived. They drive hurriedly towards the Belgian border.

The German artillery, which was positioned near the Nieuwkerksedijk, fired continuously at the British. 15:45 p.m.: Heavy smoke at the Nieuwkerk position. Artillery shells fall in front of the border of the city on Goirles territory. There is still fighting for Aerle and Nieuwkerk.

The 4th Battalion The Lincolnshire Regiment of the 49th British Infantry Division lost 4 of its soldiers on this arduous day. In addition to Harold Smedley, they were: Harrie Buckley Howorth ( 34) – Ronald Clements (18 ) ---Harold Taylor (19). All reburied in various War Cemetery's in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Harold Smedley was reburied along with 9 other war victims on March 7, 1946. They were all killed around Goirle (NL) and are all buried in the War Cemetery Leopoldsburg (BE).

Grave location:

*Field grave location : Near the Poppel customs office on the border with Belgium. *Reburied : Commonwealth War Graves, Leopoldsburg (B) *GPS Coördinates : Latitude: 51.11271, Longitude: 5.26833 *Grave location : III-B. 09 

Commemorations

https://wikimiddenbrabant.nl/Smedley,_Harold

https://nl.findagrave.com/memorial/14039993/harold-smedley#add-to-vc

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2110007/harold-smedley/

Sources:

*Research: G. Kobes en G. v.d. Klundert- Bertens