Edward David Smout

Edward David Smout

Sgt Edward David 'Ted' Smout OAM (January 5, 1898June 22, 2004) was a veteran of the First World War. Born in Brisbane (Queensland, Australia), he joined the AAMC at the age of 17, lying about his age to enlist.

During an engagement near the Somme River on April 21, 1918, Smout was an eyewitness to the final moments in the life and career of the famous German flying ace Manfred von Richthofen (aka the "Red Baron"), whose aeroplane had landed nearby after he was fatally shot. Smout reported that von Richthofen's last word was "kaputt" ("broken") just before he died. ["Unsolved History: Death of the Red Baron", 2002, Produced by Termite Art Productions for Discovery Channel] Smout said later in life that he resisted the temptation to souvenir the Red Baron's boots and Iron Cross.

He was awarded France's highest honour, being made a "Chevalier" (Knight) of the Legion d'Honneur in 1998 and also received the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the community. A regular participant in Anzac Day marches, Smout became one of the most celebrated war veterans in Queensland. He died at 106 years old, leaving a widow of 69 years, Ella.

According to historical journalist Jonathan King, "Ted Smout's legacy is in the hundreds of newspaper articles written about him, the book he wrote "Three Centuries Spanned", hours and hours of video footage instructing Australians not to get involved in conflicts like Iraq or Afghanistan. His main message always was we should not glorify war. It was a mistake to fight in a far flung battle that had nothing to do with Australia, and he pleaded with the nation never to do it again." [ [http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2004/s1138932.htm "Ted Smout: 1898 - 2004"] , , 23 June, 2004]

Honours and awards



* Medal of the Order of Australia (awarded June 6, 1978)
* British War Medal
* Victory Medal
* 80th Anniversary Armistice Remembrance Medal (awarded April 21, 1999)
* Centenary Medal (awarded January 1, 2002)
* "Chevalier" (Knight) of the Légion d'honneur (awarded July 4, 1998)

External links

* [http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/ItemDetail.asp?M=0&B=11474496 National Archives of Australia] Service Record for Sgt E.D. Smout, Regt Number 12947

References

ee also

* Veterans of the First World War who died in 2004


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • List of Légion d'honneur recipients by name — The following is a List of Légion d honneur recipients by name. The Légion d honneur is the highest order of France.Combined list of recipients (by last name):A* Nils Waltersen Aasen * Louise Abbéma * Alfred Agache (painter) * Akihito, Emperor of …   Wikipedia

  • Scotland in the Late Middle Ages — The history of Scotland in the Late Middle Ages might be said to be dominated by the twin themes of crisis and transition. It is a period where the boundaries are set by the death of kings that of Alexander III in 1286 and James IV in 1513, one… …   Wikipedia

  • Scotland — /skot leuhnd/, n. a division of the United Kingdom in the N part of Great Britain. 5,205,000; 30,412 sq. mi. (78,772 sq. km). Cap.: Edinburgh. * * * I Northernmost country of the United Kingdom. Area: 30,421 sq mi (78,789 sq km). Population… …   Universalium

  • Scotland during the Roman Empire — encompasses a period of time that is both part of genuine history and of protohistory. It is complicated by the fact that although the Roman Empire influenced every part of Scotland during the period from the arrival of the legions in c. AD 71 to …   Wikipedia

  • Dundee — For other uses, see Dundee (disambiguation). Coordinates: 56°27′50″N 2°58′12″W / 56.464°N 2.970°W / 56.464; 2.970 …   Wikipedia

  • List of historians by area of study — This is a list of historians categorized by their area of study. See also List of historians.By time periodAncient history*Ram Sharan Sharma Eminent Historian of Ancient India. *Michael Crawford (historian) *Edward Gibbon (1737 1794) The History… …   Wikipedia

  • List of historians — This is a list of historians.The names are grouped by order of the historical period in which they were writing, which is not necessarily the same as the period in which they specialized.Chroniclers and annalists, though they are not historians… …   Wikipedia

  • Scopes Trial — Coordinates: 35°29′41.74″N 85°00′45.63″W / 35.4949278°N 85.012675°W / 35.4949278; 85.012675 …   Wikipedia

  • Royal Society of Edinburgh — Abbreviation RSE Formation 1783 Type Educational charity …   Wikipedia

  • Ford Lectures — The Ford Lectures are a prestigious series of public lectures given annually in English or British History by a distinguished historian. Known commonly as The Ford Lectures, they are properly titled Ford s Lectures in British History and they are …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”