Volume 6 - Legion BC/Yukon Command Website

British ColumBia / Yukon CommandSmallenberg, Allen GeraldAllen was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1923. He served with 87Squadron in the Royal Canadian Air Force in Canada during World WarTwo. He was promoted to Flying Officer and received a Special Award forgraduating first in a class of forty. Allen has been a member of LegionBranch #227 in Okanagan Falls for fifty-one years.Smedley, Frank RiceFrank was born in Waverly, Illinois, USA on December 12, 1873. Afterimmigrating to Canada, he worked in banking and insurance and was livingin Vancouver when he enlisted in the Canadian Forestry Corps on February13, 1918. Because he was 45 years old at the time, he was assigned to a noncombatrole. Frank served as President of the Prince Edward Legion Branch#91 in Langford, BC in 1937.Smith, Frederick Charles Jr. (Fred)Fred was born in Edmonton, Alberta on December 26, 1906. He enlisted in the 28 thBC Regiment (Duke of Connaught’s Own Rifles) in Vancouver in September 1939.He trained in Nanaimo, BC before going to Barrie, ON where the BC Regiment wasredesignated the 28 th Canadian Armoured Regiment (British Columbia Regiment)and sent to England on August 21, 1942. Fred was deployed to France three weeksafter the D-Day landings in June, 1944 and saw action in Operation Totalize, thebattle to close the Falaise Gap. Surrounded by the Germans, Fred’s force lost 48 ofits 52 tanks and suffered 133 casualties. In September and October 1944, the BCRegiment joined the pursuit of the retreating Germans into Belgium and then wasinvolved in the clearing of the Scheldt Estuary. On November 6, Fred’s “C” Squadronsank three of four German naval vessels attempting to leave Zijpe Harbour andprovided Fred with the battle flag from one of the vessels as a souvenir. He returnedto Vancouver with his Regiment on February 1, 1946. Fred died on January 19, 1997.www.legionbcyukon.ca255