Why did harvey smith sign up to fight in World War II

Harvey Smith's participation in World War II was"was accidental, ambivalent, unplanned," according to Zadie Smith, his daughter.

She describes the story of her father as "a war story of a man who found it all too painful to talk about" and this is why she focused on reconstructing his experience.

Harvey Smith had to leave school because his mother couldn't pay for his uniform. At 17, he was too young to be recruited but he passed by a recruiting office and signed in. A few months later he was called to start his training. He didn't expect any action before 1945 when he would turn 19, but the law changed at 18, and that was his turn.

Harvey Smith's daughter shares his words and shows that he wanted to emphasize two main things. Firs that he says that he was not heroic, not brave. And on the other hand, the fact that "If it embodies anything ... wars are fought, perfectly normal people fight them. [ ... ] Harvey was one of those."

All in all Harvey Smith's participation in WWII was " ... quietly heroic in some ways, chaotic in others. It's an ordinary man's experience of extremity."

According to Zadie Smith, his daughter, Harvey Smith's war "was accidental, ambivalent, unplanned". He had left school because his mother couldn't pay for the "grammar school uniform". At 17, he passed by a recruiting office, went in and signed in. He was called some months later when he was 17 and a half, he trained. He didn't expect to be part of any action before 1945, when he would turn 19, but the law changed and he was dispatched at 18.

His wasn't an heroic war, he says. The author explains "If it embodies anything (my father's not much into things embodying other things), it is the fact that when wars are fought, perfectly normal people fight them. Alongside the heroes and martyrs, sergeants and generals, there are also millions of average young people who simply tumble into it, their childhood barely behind them. Harvey was one those."