Regimental Number: M67421
Rank: Private
Eli, born on July 28, 1922, was the 4th oldest in Peter and Lena Smashnuk’s family of eleven children. He had seven brothers; Nick, Paul, William, George, Harry, Donald and Leon and three sisters; Dorothy, Mary and Doreen. Peter and Elena were originally from Romania and had settled in Andrew, Alberta before moving to the Grande Prairie District in 1920. Peter filed a homestead application on SW-25-72-3-W6 in an area of Bezanson known as Lindsay. The family worked hard on their farm and eventually purchased another quarter of land. Eli and his siblings attended the Lindsay One-Room School. Once Eli had completed his education, he found employment with Oscar Albinati and Percy Clubine.
Eli enlisted with the Royal Canadian Army at Grande Prairie on December 16, 1941. Basic training was initiated at Edmonton before being sent to Calgary followed by a transfer to Dundurn and Saskatoon where he was taken on strength with the RCETC. Eli was then transferred to Chilliwack, BC where he completed a Junior NCO Course #10. He embarked for the United Kingdom on March 29, 1943. In December 1943, Eli successfully completed courses for Qualified Driver I/C Class III and in January 1944, he became a Qualified M/Mechanic “C”. He was transferred to France on September 23, 1944. On October 14, 1944, Eli, as the section commander, seized his light machine-gun and engaged the advancing enemy with accurate, devastating fire and ordered his section to take up a secondary and more secure position 75 yards away. For his heroism, Eli was awarded the Bronze Cross conferred by the Queen of the Netherlands. On October 23rd, he subsequently suffered a gun-shot wound to the abdomen and on the right hand. Eli was transferred to #23 Canadian General Hospital in England for treatment and recovery. He was transferred back to Canada on February 15, 1945 and admitted to the Colonel Military Belcher British Hospital in Calgary for evaluation. Private Eli Smashnuk served in Canada, the United Kingdom and Continental Europe and received the 1939-45 Star, France & Germany Star, Defense Medal, War Medal 1939-45 and the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal & Clasp. He was discharged on May 10, 1945 at Calgary.
After Eli arrived home, he decided to enter into a partnership in a blacksmith shop at Beaverlodge with his brother Nick. Eli met Ruth Werner who was from Goodfare and they subsequently married on July 15, 1946. The following winter, Eli found employment with Fletcher Smith’s Sawmill. In the spring of 1947, Eli and Ruth bought a ¼ section of land in the Lake Saskatoon area and started farming on their own. They increased the size of their farm by purchasing an additional 480 acres of land. Eli subsidized the farm’s income by working in the bush during the winter months and did custom fence-building in the summertime. In 1976, the Smashnuk’s sold 480 acres of their land and focused on clearing the remaining 160 acres as it was nearly all bush. The family salvaged the timber for lumber from which they built a new house. They had ten children; Linda, Barbara, Margaret, Bernie, Donna, Robert, David, Randy, Sandra and Debbie.
Eli passed away on May 25, 2009 and was buried at the Lake Saskatoon Cemetery alongside his wife, Ruth.
Contributed by Wanda Zenner
Sources:
Smoky River to Grande Prairie
Service File
Randy Smashnuk (son)