Allendale Town - Circa 1942

Allen Smith (1912-2019). Allen served as an engineer on RAF planes during the Second World War, and cheated death in Belgium when a plane swooped low to fire bullets at him and his friend. They both dived into separate ditches for cover but while Allen survived, his friend was not so fortunate.  Back home, Allen worked for many years as an electrical engineer.

Allen first became a NYE guiser and carried a barrel at age 15 and continued to do so until 2008. He then became a torchbearer, which he was still doing at the 2013 event aged 101.