Doug was born in Longwood Yorkshire in the U.K. His senior schooling was done at Homefirth and he left there at the age of 14 (1935) He started working in the family bakery and in Nov 1940 Doug joined the R.A.F.in Huddersfield as AC 2 and his force No was 112 7156. He saw service in Worrington, West Kirby which got bombed out by the Germans in 1941
I got to meet Doug Smith in the mid 2000 when he was a member of the Flame Lily Shellhole and we developed a good friendship and as things progressed and he got a bit older and moved down to Scottburgh, living first at Coconut Grove and then he moved into Lake View Retirement complex. It was a pleasure to go and visit Doug and where possible take him out. And this year as I missed his 93rd Birthday on Sat 8th Mar, I decided that I needed to go and see him so went down on Sat 15th Mar 2014 and we went to lunch in a very nice restaurant over looking the sea, to share on some good old stories and share a good few beers. – Cheers and try and get down to Scottburgh to visit once a month. At this age of his, he does not seem to have many of his friends left so it is always a pleasure to visit and share a beer or two and just reminisce.
He then was transferred to Bournmouth, then onto Halton H.Q. in London. Bulawayo (Rhodesia) arriving 3rd January 1944. Seems that Doug and some of
his friends used to get up to quite a lot of mischief and one of his good friends Ginger was sent up to Ayerton in the north of Northern Rhodesia
(Zambia) From Bulawayo Doug moved up to Norton (near Salisbury) and had now become a Leading Aircraftsman and military terms a Lance Corporal ! In 1946
he was transferred to Cranborne. The war was now over and he returned to England where he was “demobbed” in Staffordshire. Having been demobbed Doug
went back to where he previously worked in the bakery. In July of 1946 he married Lola. In 1947 the Smith’s left the U.K. and sailed for Cape Town and subsequently then moved to Johannesburg to become a Car Salesman.
Doug and Lola had two children, Jennifer was born in Johannesburg in October of 1948 and then Michael was born also in Johannesburg September of 1953.
Lola passed away on 27th April 1989 from cancer. Doug then met Pamela and they got married in 1994 (?) and lived in Pinetown
and later moved to Waterfall. Doug retired from work in 1986. Doug Smith joined the MOTH Order in Johannesburg – Louis Botha Shellhole, then when he moved to Natal. Doug transferred to Victory Shellhole, and then onto Flame Lily Shellhole in Queensburgh. After moving out from the Flame
Lily cottages of Queensburgh Doug moved down to Scottburgh and went to live in Coconut Grove retirement village for a few years and then has since moved
over the road to Lake View retirement home where he is currently living.
As a member of Victory Shellhole he held the position of Deputy Old Bill, and he and his good Moth friend Jim Kelley and Brian Edwards used to collect
old newspapers and bottles for re-cycling, which generated funds for Victory. His wife Pam asked Doug “what was the best thing for him ?” Doug’s response
was the MOTH Order. And Pam said “Better than me ?” and he replied yes ! ! Need I say that Doug got what he deserved a damn good smack around the head for that comment ! Doug and Pam had a good marriage which lasted for 14 years when she passed on.
By Moth Peter Shattock (Better ‘Ole Shellhole) Ph 0825126056.
e-mail pshattock@telkomsa.net