Helsinki 1952 XV Olympia bronze Participation Medallion: Captain Claude Vincent Smeal, 3 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment

Circular bronze medallion. The obverse displays a pair of angular, stylised athlete's heads in profile facing right, each wearing laurel wreaths. The upper head is in relief, the lower one incised. They both sit above a representation of an Olympic Stadium. The words 'HELSINKI 1952' are cast in relief around the upper circumference, with the city name 'HELSINGFORI' incised below. The designer's name 'KAUKO RASANEN 1951' is incised just under the upper head. The reverse bears a stylised female and male athelete facing left in profile, dressed in Grecian robes and holding torches forward in their right hands, above the Olympic Rings. The words 'XV OLYMPIA' are cast in relief around the upper circumference.

Bronze Helsinki 1952 XV Olympia bronze Participation Medallion issued to Claude Vincent Smeal.

The Particpation Medal had been produced since the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896; this example was designed by Kauko Räsänen (1926 to 2015) and 5,867 were distributed to all athletes and officials who participated in the 1952 Games. Räsänen became one of Finland's greatest designer of medals and had received international recognition by the 1970s.

The recipient, Claude Smeal was born 22 September 1918 at Waverley, NSW. He enlisted on 20 February 1939 and served throughout the Second World War, initially in the CMF as a sapper with the Engineers. He served at Georges Heights and Queenscliff and was involved in the establishment of various radar stations, including Darwin in 1942.

He then enlisted with the AIF as a signaller and fought in New Guinea, but remained in the military after the war and enlisted for service in Korea with 3 Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR). As a lieutenant and later a captain, he served in Korea from 19 October 1951 until 3 July 1952 with 3 RAR as a platoon commander and signals officer. He returned briefly to Australia for leave after his participation in the Helsinki Olympics and then back to Japan where he was reposted to 1 RAR and served with them from late June 1954, presumably finishing his year’s tour of Korea. Upon his return to Australia he remained in the Army until his retirement on 22 September 1973.

Claude Smeal was also an enthusiastic runner who regularly participated in marathon events in Australia. The Sydney Morning Herald of 18 October 1950, for example, reported

'Claude Smeal, an Army lieutenant, has run 100 miles a week since September 24 to fit himself for the Victorian marathon championship over 26 miles, 385 yards. Smeal will be the only NSW representative in the Victorian race.'

He participated in the NSW Marathon in 1951, which he won, shortly before he embarked for Korea.

When Smeal joined 3 RAR in Korea in late October 1951, his battalion had just completed Operation Commando (its participation in the Battle of Maryang-San) and was settling down to patrolling the no man's land between the two opposing trench lines that ran along the 38th Parallel. Smeal continued training, jogging near sections of the front line and was warned by his commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Walsh, to 'keep his head down' on these occasions.
In mid-1952, his story came to the attention of the Australian press when he applied to the NSW Athletics Association for inclusion in the Australian Olympics team; with the support of both his battalion commander and two correspondents he completed a trial marathon. This was good enough - considering the conditions – for him to be considered and with the support of Frank Packer (and with the Army seeking good publicity), his selection was approved by the army minister and Smeal was added to the team. On 26 June 1952, the 3 RAR war diary noted his selection and on 2 July noted that 'Captain C V Smeal marched out en route for Helsinki' at 1700 hours.

En route to London to join the Australian team in London, Smeal was provided with a pair of running shoes by 'Japan's leading shoe craftsman' and commented that 'These are the best shoes I have ever had.' The shoes were of light canvas with ribbed crepe soles.

In the event, Claude Smeal finished 45th out of field of 68, with a time of 2 hours 52 minutes 23 seconds; the race was won by Czechoslovakian long distance runner Emil Zátopek in a time of 2 hours 23 minutes 3 seconds. The Minister for the Army, Francis, commented that 'Any runner going straight from actively fighting an enemy in a bitter campaign to compete with the world's best must be expected to appear under a handicap.'

After returning to Australia, Claude Smeal served as Range Adjutant at Maralinga, five years at the Parachute Training School at Williamstown (where he qualified as a parachutist at the age of 44) and saw further service overseas with the Pacific Islands Regiment. He retired in 1973 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Claude Smeal maintained a lifelong interest in running and athletics attended all the reunions of the 1952 Australian Olympic team up until 1992, the year of his death at 74.