Signalman Francis Ralph Smith
Survivor of WW2
Date of Death:
Service Biography
Francis Ralph Smith was born at Ormstown, Quebec, on 24 March 1915. A farmer before the war, he enlisted at Montreal on 22 September 1939 as D-21366 with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. He proceeded overseas in January 1940 and served as a wireless operator in the United Kingdom, North Africa, Sicily, Italy and Northwest Europe. During his overseas service he suffered an accidental back injury in 1943 that required hospital treatment. Smith later served in France, Belgium and Holland and returned to Canada in September 1945. He was discharged at Montreal South on 22 October 1945 on demobilization.
General Information
Conflict:
WW2
Regimental No.:
D-21366
Cause of Death (in war):
Survived
Branch:
Army
Regiment:
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
Battalion:
1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals
Company:
Date of Birth :
Place of Birth:
Ormstown, Quebec
Date of Enlistment:
Age at Enlistment:
24 years 5 months
Date of Discharge:
Age at Discharge:
30 years 6 months
Date of Death:
Age at Death:
89 years 8 months
Country Born:
Canada
Trade or Calling:
Farmer
Next of Kin:
Miss Maude Welch (aunt), Ormstown, Quebec
Address at Enlistment:
Allan's Corners, Quebec
Religion:
Roman Catholic
Place of Enlistment:
Montreal, Quebec
Was a Prisoner of War:
No
Height:
5 ft 4.8 in / 164 cm
Weight:
130 lbs / 59 kg
Chest:
37.5 in / 95 cm
Expansion:
4.0 in / 10 cm
Marital Status:
Single
Prior Military Experience:
No
Saw Service in:
Europe
Place of Discharge:
Montreal South, Quebec
Discharge Type:
Regular/End of Service
Discharge Notes:
Battle Died/Wounded:
Length of Service:
2222 days in service
Buried at:
Links
Ranks
| Conflict |
Rank |
Regiment |
Branch |
Unit |
Company |
Date From |
Date To |
| WW2 |
Signalman |
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals |
Army |
1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Signalman |
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals |
Army |
No. 262 Canadian Demobilization Unit, Military District No. 4 |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Signalman |
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals |
Army |
1st Canadian Corps Signals |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Acting Lance Corporal |
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals |
Army |
1st Canadian Corps Signals |
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Signalman |
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals |
Army |
1st Canadian Corps Signals |
|
|
|
Awards
| Conflict |
Award |
Action |
Date of Award |
Date of Citation |
Source |
| WW2 |
1939-45 Star |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Italy Star |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
France and Germany Star |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Defence Medal |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with Clasp |
|
|
|
|
| WW2 |
War Medal 1939-45 |
|
|
|
|
Service Chronology
1915-03-24 — Born
1935 — Completed Grade 9; began mixed-farming work
1939-09-22 — Enlisted as Signalman D-21366 with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
1939-12-17 — Reported to camp
1940-01-30 — Embarked for overseas service aboard H.M.T. E.19
1940-02-09 — Disembarked in Scotland
1940-02-10 — Attached to 1st Canadian Division Signals
1941-09-22 — Entitled to first Good Conduct Badge
1942-06-20 — Struck off strength to 1st Army Signals
1942-06-20 — Taken on strength 1st Army Signals from Canadian signals formation
1943-05-20 — Change of next of kin recorded to Miss Maude Welch, aunt
1943-06-01 — Admitted to 6 E.C.S.
1943-06-10 — Discharged from 6 E.C.S.
1943-10-15 — Struck off strength 1st Army Signals to 1st Corps Signals
1943-10-16 — Taken on strength 1st Corps Signals
1943-10-24 — Struck off strength Canadian Army (UK) on embarkation
1943-11-09 — Disembarked in Italy / Central Mediterranean Force
1943-11-15 — Appointed Acting Lance Corporal
1943-11-23 — Reverted to Signalman; admitted with accidental injury
1943-12-02 — Transferred/admitted for continued treatment after accidental injury
1943-12-17 — Transferred from 5 Canadian General Hospital; admitted for lumbar transverse-process fracture
1943-12-30 — Discharged from 69 General Hospital
1944-01-20 — Taken on strength X-4 List RCCS, 7 Battalion, 2 Canadian Base Reinforcement Depot, from X-4 List RCCS, No. 1 CBRD
1944-02-21 — Struck off strength to 4 Battalion, 1 Canadian Base Reinforcement Depot
1944-12-20 — Struck off strength 1st Canadian Corps Signals to 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals
1944-12-21 — Taken on strength 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals from 1st Canadian Corps Signals
1945-03-11 — Embarked from Italy
1945-03-13 — Disembarked in France
1945-04-20 — Granted nine days privilege leave to the United Kingdom
1945-04-22 — Struck off strength to Canadian Signals Reinforcement Unit
1945-04-23 — Used threatening language toward a superior officer and struck him with an open hand
1945-04-24 — Taken on strength from 1st Army Group RCA Signals and attached for administrative purposes
1945-04-27 — Found guilty on summary disposal; forfeited 28 days' pay
1945-04-27 — Struck off strength Canadian Signals Reinforcement Unit to 1st Army Group RCA Signals
1945-04-28 — Taken on strength 1st Army Group RCA Signals from Canadian Signals Reinforcement Unit
1945-05-01 — Returned from privilege leave in the United Kingdom
1945-05-26 — Taken on strength 1 CMR Signals Section from X-4 List RCCS
1945-06-09 — Struck off strength 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals to X-3 List RCCS
1945-06-20 — Administrative X-3 List / signals-unit movement recorded
1945-06-26 — Taken on strength 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals from X-3 List RCCS
1945-06-27 — Taken on strength 1 CMR Signals Section from 2 Conv. At. U. (X-3 List RCCS)
1945-07-06 — Struck off strength 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals to X-3 List RCCS
1945-07-08 — X-3 List RCCS administrative movement recorded
1945-07-09 — Taken on strength 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals from X-3 List RCCS
1945-08-02 — Struck off strength to No. 262 Canadian Demobilization Unit, Military District No. 4
1945-08-03 — Taken on strength No. 262 Canadian Demobilization Unit, Military District No. 4 from 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals
1945-09-03 — Struck off strength Canadian Army Overseas
1945-09-05 — Taken on strength in Canada from Canadian Army Overseas
1945-09-12 to 1945-10-18 — Granted leave and ration allowance
1945-10-22 — Discharged on normal demobilization under R.O. 1029, paragraph 5
Notes
Completed Grade 9 at Ormstown Consolidated High School in 1935. From 1935 until enlistment worked in mixed farming, including beekeeping, fox raising and dairy farming, at George Hope Allan's farm in Ormstown. English speaking. He qualified as a wireless operator, Group B. During an accidental injury episode in late 1943 he was treated at 98 General Hospital, 5 Canadian General Hospital and 69 General Hospital; surviving casualty extracts vary in the precise injury wording, while later records support a lumbar transverse-process fracture. On 23 April 1945 in London he used threatening language toward a superior officer and struck the officer with his open hand; on 27 April he was found guilty on summary disposal and forfeited 28 days' pay.
Ralph Smith address in 1994 was PO Box 286-17 College St, Lacolle, Quebec J0J 1J0
Enlisted Sept. 24, 1939; went overseas Feb. 1940.
Born at: Ormstown, Que., March 16, 1915,
Francis Ralph Smith BIRTH 24 MAR 1915 • Ormstown, Quebec DEATH 23 DEC 2004 • Lacolle, Quebec, Canada
atip Request confirmation number EA2026_0171704
Additional Service Notes
Served 4 months in Canada and 67 months overseas. Enlisted with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals and served overseas as a wireless operator, Group B. He served in the United Kingdom, North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Belgium and Holland. He embarked at Halifax on 30 January 1940 and disembarked at Gourock on 9 February 1940. His operational signals service included 1st Canadian Corps Signals and 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery Signals. In June and July 1945 the casualty forms record several short movements between his signals unit and X-3 List RCCS, including a convalescent-unit period; the surviving forms overlap and use abbreviated administrative designations, so those entries are preserved in chronology without forced expansion. He was posted to No. 262 Canadian Demobilization Unit, Military District No. 4, in August 1945, struck off strength Canadian Army Overseas on 3 September 1945, and taken on strength in Canada on 5 September 1945.
Additional Next of Kin Notes
At enlistment his father, Robert Francis Smith, 5433 Papineau Street, Montreal, Quebec, was named next of kin. A later Service and Casualty Form names Miss Maude Welch, aunt, Ormstown, Quebec, as next of kin. The later casualty-form entry is used for p_nextofKinInfo while both are preserved here.
Version: 3 Last modified: 2026-09-19 18:59:50
by: marc
