Heroes of the Victoria Cross ERNEST 'SMOKEY'SMITH

In October 1944, as the Allies fought to establish a bridgehead across Italy's Savio River, a roguish private challenged an armoured column

- ALEX BOWERS

The Mark V Panther was close, but not close enough for Ernest ‘Smokey’ Smith to fire his PIAT (Projector, Infantry, Anti-Tank) into the beast’s hull. Pressed up against the side of the ditch beside his wounded comrade, ignoring the command car already out of action and two self-propelled guns (SPGs) being engaged elsewhere, he fumbled with the cumbersome 15kg weapon and waited for the right moment. The tank lurching towards him continued to spit rounds into the rain-sodden earth as it had when it struck the now-groaning Private James Tennant. But Smokey, a notoriously insubordinate soldier from the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada – having been promoted and demoted nine times – remained undeterred by the Germans’ 26th Panzer Division column in front of him. Finally, with the Panther about nine metres away, he stood in full view of the advancing enemy, aimed his shoulder-braced launcher and took his shot.