John Richard Easonsmith
John Richard Easonsmith | |
|---|---|
Second World War
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| Awards | Distinguished Service Order Military Cross |
John ("Jake") Richard Easonsmith DSO, MC (12 April 1909 – 16 November 1943) was a British Army soldier during World War II. He was killed in action on the Dodecanese island of Leros whilst commanding the Long Range Desert Group in 1943. W. B. Kennedy-Shaw described him as: "Brave, wise, with an uprightness that shamed lesser men, he was, I think, the finest man we ever had in the L.R.D.G."[1]
Early life
John Richard Easonsmith was born in
Military career
On the outbreak of the World War II in September 1939 Easonsmith joined the 4th Battalion
In August he was promoted to the rank of captain. He took part in the L.R.D.G.'s New Zealander 'R1' Patrol's mission to pick up a detachment of the
Death
Easonsmith was killed in action at the age of 34 on 15 November 1943 during the Battle of Leros, when he was shot by a German sniper whilst carrying out a lone reconnaissance of a village.[8] His body was buried in Leros War Cemetery, the gravestone bearing the inscription dedication drawn from Rupert Brooke's poem "The Soldier": "Some corner of a foreign field that is for ever England".[4][9]
Notes
- ^ Kennedy Shaw, p. 106.
- ^ Bristol Evening Post24 November 1943: Obituary John Richard Easonsmith
- ^ "No. 34911". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 July 1940. p. 4731.
- ^ a b The Times 15 January 1944: Obituary, John Richard Easonsmith
- ^ "No. 35396". The London Gazette. 26 December 1941. p. 7334.
- ^ Molinari, pp. 71–72
- ^ "No. 35799". The London Gazette (Supplement). 24 November 1942. p. 5141.
- ^ Lloyd Owen, p. 204.
- ^ CWGC record for Lt-Col J.R.Easonsmith DSO MC
References
- Molinari, Andrea, Desert Raiders: Axis and Allied Special Forces 1940–43 (Botley, UK: Osprey Publishing, 2007) ISBN 1-84603-006-4
- Lloyd Owen, David, Providence Their Guide: The Long Range Desert Group 1940–45 (London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd, 1980) ISBN 0-24553603-5
- Kennedy Shaw, W. B., Long Range Desert Group (London: Greenhill Books, 1989) ISBN 1-85367-024-3
