Home | Veterans | Ron Smith
Ron-Davies

A veteran interview with

Ron Smith

Despite being quite poorly when we met for the interview, Ron provided a fascinating insight to his life at sea.

Video Coming Soon

Bringing military history to life

Help us tell this veteran's story!

About Ron Smith

Credits

Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker

Transcripts:
Please note that transcripts and closed captions in the video player are automatically generated by Vimeo.

Copyright:
All video content, web site design, graphics, images (including submitted content), text, the selection and arrangement thereof, underlying source code, software and all other material on this Web site are the copyright of Legasee Educational Trust, and its affiliates, or their content and technology providers. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of materials on this Web site – including reproduction for purposes other than those noted above, modification, distribution, or republication – without the prior written permission of Legasee Educational Trust is strictly prohibited.

Home | Veterans | Ron Smith

A veteran interview with

Ron Smith

Ron-Davies

Despite being quite poorly when we met for the interview, Ron provided a fascinating insight to his life at sea.

Related topics & talking points

Keep on watching

More veteran stories...

Share this interview on:

https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ron-smith/

Cite this interview:

MLA Style:
Smith, Ron. A Veteran Interview with Ron Smith. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee, n.d. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ron-smith/. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
APA Style:
Smith, R. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Ron Smith [Interview by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Retrieved April 23, 2026, from https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ron-smith/
Chicago Style:
Smith, Ron. n.d.. A Veteran Interview with Ron Smith. Interview by Martin Bisiker. Legasee. Accessed April 23, 2026. https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ron-smith/
Harvard Style:
Smith, R. (n.d.). A Veteran Interview with Ron Smith. [Interviewed by Martin Bisiker]. Legasee. Available at https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ron-smith/ (Accessed: 23 April 2026)
Vancouver Style:
Smith, R. A Veteran Interview with Ron Smith [Internet]. Interview by M. Bisiker. Legasee; n.d. [cited 2026 Apr 23]. Available from: https://www.legasee.org.uk/veteran/ron-smith/
An interview with

Bernard Cohen

Glory for the Korean people contributed by men such as Bernard Cohen who served with the Royal Navy during the Korean War.

Bernard Cohen tells a fascinating account of his time as a Naval Airman during the Korean War. He began his initial training in Corsham, Wiltshire at the naval establishment, HMS Arthur. Following this, he served aboard HMS Illustrious for his Seamanship training and at HMS Gannet in Northern Ireland, he learned Firefighting and Air Traffic Control. Eventually, he was posted to serve aboard HMS Glory, spending much time in the Mediterranean before being deployed to Korea where he joined the war. As a member of the fly-deck party, his main responsibilities consisted of storing and positioning aircrafts of the airborne crew who came from offshore as well as helping them with landing and lifting off safely from the carrier. He has upsetting memories of the airmen who died in crashes, remembering how he had given each of them a thumbs up before flying only to never see them again. The ship was not immune to hazardous weather conditions and it was during his service when Typhoon Marge struck. Despite this issue, Bernard was fortunate to be with the first commission during the summer period when the storm was less severe compared to what the second and third commissions had to endure who arrived during the winter when conditions had worsened. Throughout his service in the war, Bernard never stepped ashore in any of the Korean harbours or port cities. He revisited Korea many years later when veterans of the war were invited to the country annually. He recalls the admiration and generosity of the Korean people, treating them like heroes for helping them in their time of need. Bernard's interview captures the bravery and sacrifice of those in the Navy who helped the Korean people, ensuring a better future for them and establishing a lasting bond for future generations.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker
An interview with

Ted Verbiest

Fleet Air Arm mechanic whose squadron built the Cape Town airfield then assembled crated aircraft for use in the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean.

Although Ted Verbiest had “a lovely war” in South Africa, he initially describes the chaos of recruitment and defending the beach at Littlehampton against a rumoured German invasion. More darkly, he recalls diving for cover with a WREN when German aircraft killed 32 people at RNAS Ford (18th August 1940). He then spent a year in Scotland, where one of his mates shot at a parachute, only to discover it was a parachute mine – fortunately, he missed. In Cape Town, his squadron built a new airfield so they could uncrate aircraft and prepare them for operations in the South Atlantic or Indian Ocean. He married a WREN in the airfield church, memorably spending his honeymoon on Table Mountain. Back in England, his squadron took over airfields as the Americans vacated, but they were cross to find they had been smashed up. Although he was duty Petty Officer on VE Day, his abiding memory is seeing a naked drunk man upside down in a dustbin.
Service:
Interviewed by:
Martin Bisiker