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‘Private in character but public in spirit’ the remarkable life of Perthshire’s Annie Smart

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Born into a Blairgowrie farming family, the early life of Annie Smart, who has died at the age of 91, was peaceful and happy.

Little talked of, however, were her years as a young woman when she took a life-changing decision that plunged her into a world of warfare and forced the teenager to come face to face with evil.

She joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in 1942 at the age of 18 and was first posted to Belgium where she served at an ack-ack (anti-aircraft gun) station.

Accepting an offer to join the Military Police, however, brought her to the harrowing war crimes tribunals that took place in Hamburg in 1946.

There she was among a group of young women charged with overseeing the female officers and guards being tried for their actions at Ravensbruck Hitler’s largest all-female death camp.

There, over six years, unspeakable horrors had been visited upon female prisoners, with 50,000 said to have perished.

Twice as many are thought to have suffered brutal torture at the hands of the camp’s female guards, the depths of whose depravity chilled those who heard of it.

Mrs Smart’s family said she’d spoken little of her time at the trials, but recalled that many of the SS and Nazi women she’d been asked to guard had been executed for their crimes.

She returned to Perthshire after the war, working as a bus conductress and a sales assistant in shoe shops in Perth and with General Accident and in 1953 married Jim Smart.

After her retirement she took up bowling and embraced voluntary work, supporting a number of organisations including the WRVS and continuing to engage in activities associated with the ATS, helping to found the Fife and Tayside Branch of the Women’s Royal Army Corps Association.

For almost 20 years she helped raise funds for good causes by helping to operate the tea bar at Perth Sheriff Court.

She regularly attended the Royal British Legion parades at the cenotaph and the Festival of Remembrance, together with events in Perth.

In 2005, when visiting the city to open the new concert hall, the Queen noticed her ATS medal and spoke to her at length.

During the war the then Princess Elizabeth, had served with the ATS.

Mrs Smart’s son Colin said his mother had “enjoyed life”.

“She went on several cruises and travelled the world, crossing Canada and Australia from coast to coast,” he said.

“She was also a keen bowler, belonging to three or four clubs and was also part of a number of local organisations, including the WRVS.

The Rev Timothy Fletcher, who spoke at Mrs Smart’s funeral, said: “Annie was private in character but public in spirit, putting love for county and others above all self-interest.”