253153 Pte. Norman John Smith British Army 2nd Btn Highland Light Infantry from:Leicester My father, Norman Smith, volunteered and joined the 2nd HLI after having been in hospital in Barri, Italy in 1944. He transferred from the Northamptonshire Regiment having come with them through North Africa, Sicily and Italy at Monte Casino and Anzio.
He was trained as a mountaineer in Italy but they were never used in this capacity. They were also trained in skiing and parachuting. They were sent to the Island of Vis in the Adriatic off the coast of Yugosalvia.
The 2nd HLI was in a special service brigade and whilst there he took part in raids along the coast supporting commandos and SAS. Later they were sent to Greece and back to Italy. At wars' end he was in Austria based in Klagenfurt where he said they were used to track down Nazis who were in hiding.
They were later sent back to Greece in 1945 where they fought against the communist forces there.
After a stint in the regimental police, he was eventually demobbed in 1946 and thereafter served in the TA.
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