- Edward David Smout
Sgt Edward David 'Ted' Smout OAM (
January 5 ,1898 –June 22 ,2004 ) was a veteran of the First World War. Born inBrisbane (Queensland ,Australia ), he joined the AAMC at the age of 17, lying about his age to enlist.During an engagement near the
Somme River onApril 21 ,1918 , Smout was aneyewitness to the final moments in the life and career of the famous German flying aceManfred 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 byTermite Art Productions forDiscovery 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 theLegion d'Honneur in 1998 and also received theMedal of the Order of Australia for service to the community. A regular participant inAnzac 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 (awardedApril 21 ,1999 )
*Centenary Medal (awardedJanuary 1 ,2002 )
* "Chevalier" (Knight) of theLégion d'honneur (awardedJuly 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.