korean war vet helped keep armoured vehicles in fighting shape by Jason G. Antonio, Moose Jaw Express
Charlie Smith doesn’t consider his time during the Korean War that exciting, but his efforts ensured that Canada’s armoured vehicles were returned to fighting shape after engaging with the enemy — or falling into rice paddies. Born near Davidson, Sask. in 1928, Smith was 22 when the Korean War started on June 25, 1950, after the North invaded the South. Smith was working on a farm when he realized he would never get ahead in life performing that work. Luckily, it was an army advertisement — “See some of the world and learn a trade” — that piqued his interest and prompted him to enlist in 1950. The farm boy eventually joined the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (RCEME) Corps as a heavy mechanic who looked after gas- and diesel-powered vehicles. He was given the rank of craftsman. “I could have been a corporal, but that doesn’t pay,” said Smith, 93. “You don’t get pay for rank until you’re a sergeant. And where I was, a sergeant wasn’t included in there in the ranks.” Smith was sent to Kingston, Ont. to train for nearly two years. While that was a good experience, he and other soldiers didn’t attempt to make friends with the locals — or
find girlfriends — since they knew their time there would be short. The RCEME shipped out to Korea by boat in April 1952. The Corps was attached to the Royal Canadian Horse Artillery since it was believed the latter unit would move its weapons by tracked vehicles. However, the engineers discovered that the artillery unit was moving its weapons using vehicles with tires. Smith ended up about 40 kilometres north of Seoul near the border with the Communists. They remained in that area for the remainder of the war. “The Chinese played games. They teased you (by firing artillery),” he said. “I didn’t see action. We were in the follow-up to show them that we were still there … . I did not shoot anybody. And wherever I went, they (mostly) didn’t shoot at me.” While Smith had trained as a mechanic, he was given responsibilities to move equipment and vehicles. This included moving tanks and heavy trucks that broke down or became stuck. Many times, it wasn’t easy to move the vehicles since water-filled rice paddies surrounded the roads. Yet, anything wheeled or tracked had to stick to the main paths for fear of becoming stuck while driving off-road.
Charlie Smith spends some time relaxing outside his tent in Korea in 1953. Photo submitted
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