In Memory of
 SMULLEN, JOHN
267195, Attd. 1st Bn. The Princess Louise's Kensington Regt
Manchester Regiment
Secondary Regiment: Middlesex Regiment
Second Lieutenant
who died age 26
on 5th August 1943

Son of James Thomas Smullen and Margaret Smullen, of Falcarragh, Co. Donegal, Irish Republic. B.A. (Dublin): Trinity College.

This is a section of a letter from my grandfather, Sgt Frederick Frank 'Ken' Kendell, B Group (Signals),
1st Kensingtons to his wife Iris describing the incident that resulted in the death of John J Smullen who is buried at Catania. Letter written 11th August 1943 from his bed in a field hospital.
'A young officer and I had to go forward on a reconnaissance in order to find a "hide" for one of our companies. We found our area just before dark and settled in an orchard to wait for our lads to come up. This was at about 9pm, and they weren't due up until 2am. Just after dark Jerry lobbed over the first mortar bomb, and we lost no time in scrambling into a ditch! We thought we were safe enough, because although the bombs were bursting uncomfortably close the ditch was about four feet deep and was providing pretty good cover. The bombardment went on for about half an hour , and we were continually being showed with dirt by those falling extra close. Then by a hellish stroke of fate Jerry got a direct hit on our trench. I remember screaming, and then I felt strangely calm. I was buried in burning earth and knew my leg had been hit. I scrambled out somehow and yelled for the officer. There was just a heap of charred earth where he lay and I began to scratch away at it with my hands. All the time I was calling his name, but there was no reply and no movement. I dug for ten minutes, then had to stop because of the pain in my leg - it was bleeding pretty badly, so I put my field service dressing on it and resumed my search for Mr Smullen. It was dark, and bombs were bursting all round me, and I felt as though it was a horrible nightmare, up till then I hadn't been able to realize Mr Smullen was dead, but it suddenly struck me, and I knew my efforts were futile'.