Attackers pick on wrong man

Press, 28 December 1989, Page 2

Attackers pick on wrong man

PA Auckland The police say a World War II veteran who fought hand-to-hand battles in the Pacific jungle went back into action on Friday evening against two armed attackers. Alfred Smith, aged 65, was taking a short cut home from a cinema through Myers Park, central Auckland, at 10.40 p.m. when he was approached from behind by a man asking for a cigarette. As the former Army major turned to answer, he saw a second man in the shadows, holding a switchblade and coming for him. But, before the left-handed attacker had a chance to strike, Mr Smith, who is 193 cm (6ft 4in) tall and a former wrestler, disarmed him using a wrist manoeuvre he had performed many times in Army training and against the Japanese on Guadalcanal more than 40 years ago, the police said. The surprise attack backfired as Mr Smith brought the second attacker to his knees a second later with a knee to the groin. The police said that instead of ganging up on their victim, both men took to their heels, shouting abuse and threatening to lay assault charges. The men grabbed the 15cm knife from the ground as they went. On Tuesday Mr Smith was relaxing in his boarding home, watching war movies.

“They didn’t have a chance — my reflexes were too quick,” he chuckled. “They picked the wrong man.”