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Description
When the German’s were retreating from a position the only thing they left behind were mines. Smokey tells us about two types of mines they used.
Transcription
Interviewer: When they would evacuate a position, and move, and pull back, would they leave demolition and mines?
No, no they throw it all at you.
Interviewer: Oh, okay. So...
Everything was used. I could always tell when they were leaving because you'd wake, you'd say, "My God, they're throwing everything," everything would be coming. So I guess they're leaving for the next position.
Interviewer: Now did they leave mines or anything like that?
Oh they left those, oh yeah.
Interviewer: So you'd have to have the engineers come up.
They usually came up, course they couldn't, with shoe mines, I mean you can't find them with a detector. Yeah that was the worst thing you know, they had shoe mines and S-mines. And S-mines were if you stepped on them, they'd bounce up in the air and blow up, filled with ball bearings.
And the shoe mine would just blow your legs off. And there were lots of those around but you had to find them with, if, if somebody stepped on it, you'd have to go around with your bayonet, you know, take it up. That's the only way you could find them.
Interviewer: So they weren't, there was no metal detectors that would pick it up?
No, no, none, they were made of wood.
No, no they throw it all at you.
Interviewer: Oh, okay. So...
Everything was used. I could always tell when they were leaving because you'd wake, you'd say, "My God, they're throwing everything," everything would be coming. So I guess they're leaving for the next position.
Interviewer: Now did they leave mines or anything like that?
Oh they left those, oh yeah.
Interviewer: So you'd have to have the engineers come up.
They usually came up, course they couldn't, with shoe mines, I mean you can't find them with a detector. Yeah that was the worst thing you know, they had shoe mines and S-mines. And S-mines were if you stepped on them, they'd bounce up in the air and blow up, filled with ball bearings.
And the shoe mine would just blow your legs off. And there were lots of those around but you had to find them with, if, if somebody stepped on it, you'd have to go around with your bayonet, you know, take it up. That's the only way you could find them.
Interviewer: So they weren't, there was no metal detectors that would pick it up?
No, no, none, they were made of wood.
Catégories
Shoe Mines and S-Mines
Médium
Video
Propriétaire
Veterans Affairs Canada
Guerre ou mission
Second World War
Emplacement géographique
Italy
Campagne
Italy
Personne interviewée
Ernest “Smokey” Smith
Branche
Army
Unité ou navire
Seaforth Highlanders
Military Rank
Private
Durée
01:16