Harry Lee Smuck

Patrol Sergeant Harry Lee Smuck

Harry Lee Smuck was born on the 12th of February 1903, at Bayham, Ontario. As a young man, Smuck served for seven years with the Royal Canadian Dragoons, an armoured regiment of the Canadian Army. On May 5th, 1926, Smuck was sworn in as Police Constable No. 77 of the Toronto Police Force. By 1939, Smuck was serving as a Patrol Sergeant at No. 3 Police Station, on Queen Street West at Claremont Street. He had experience in the Mounted Squad and on foot patrol at numerous divisions. Smuck lived at 2-140 Cowan Avenue, with his wife Hattie and their three children. 

On November 11th, 1939 shortly after war was declared, Patrol Sergeant Smuck enlisted with the First Hussars in London, Ontario. Like his old regiment, the First Hussars was an armoured unit. Smuck was quickly made an acting sergeant and a month later was appointed the Squadron Sergeant-Major, the senior ranking enlisted man in his squadron. Smuck trained his men locally and in 1940 was offered a commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. In November 1941, Smuck and his men landed in England and were stationed in Aldershot. In December 1943, the unit's outdated tanks were replaced with M4 Sherman and Sherman Firefly tanks and they trained for the invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe.

On D-Day, June 6th, 1944, now-Captain Smuck and his tanks landed on Juno Beach and fought their way inland further than any other unit that day. The following days saw heavy fighting as well. On June 11th, 1944, Smuck's unit was tasked with attacking the French town of Le Mesnil-Patry in support of a larger Allied operation towards Caen. Smuck's Sherman tanks were supported by infantry from the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, a local Toronto regiment. The attack set off at 1pm and was met with heavy mortar and machine gun fire from the village. Smuck's tanks advanced and encountered dug-in enemy troops in the surrounding countryside hidden in hedgerows, slit trenches, and ditches. While winning the firefight against enemy infantry, Smuck's tank squadron started getting hit by 7.5cm anti-tank guns. Then, powerful German Panzer IV tanks took the field and engaged them – the 2nd Battalion of the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend, a fanatical Nazi unit made up of experienced fighters and members of the Hitler Youth, was counter-attacking. Smuck's tank was knocked out and he and his crew, some wounded, managed to bail out and made a break for their lines. They became separated under fire and Smuck and one of his men hid under another destroyed Canadian tank to regroup. Suddenly, the pair were swarmed by enemy troops and they decided to each make a run for it. Smuck was captured, then marched to a secluded area with other Canadian prisoners of war (including other members of his tank crew) also captured in the chaotic battle. Once there, Smuck and the other men were lined up, shot, and buried in a shallow grave. Smuck was declared missing after the battle until the mass grave was discovered. The circumstances of his death were investigated by the Canadian War Crimes Investigation Unit after the war and publicized during the trial of Nazi General and war criminal Kurt Meyer.

Patrol Sergeant Harry Lee Smuck was re-interred and now lies at the Ryes War Cemetery in Bazenville, France.

Name: Harry Lee Smuck
Badge: N/A
Rank: Patrol Sergeant
Date of Birth: Feb. 12, 1903
Age: 41
Length of Service: 13 Years
Date of Death: June 11, 1944

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