LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Daryl Hamilton SMITH
Service No: 411953
Born: Murwillumbah NSW, 5 September 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1941
Unit: No. 104 Squadron (RAF), Hani West Landing Ground, Tunisia
Died: Air Operations (No. 104 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE 613), Central Mediterranean, 8 August 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Daniel Hamilton Smith and Lillian Mary Smith, of Waratah, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 11, Column 2, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington HE 613 of 104 Squadron took off from Hani West Landing Ground at night on 7 August 1943 to attack Cape Palmi, Italy. Cape Palmi is on the south west coast of Italy approximately 30 kms north east of Reggio. The aircraft failed to return from this mission. Following post war investigations, it was recorded in 1948 that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of HE 613 were:
Sergeant William John Barriskill (1126133) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kenneth Frank Bristow (658662) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Reginald Arthur Ellis (416554) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Frederick Glyndwr Holmes (1315697) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Daryl Hamilton Smith (411953) (Pilot)
Sergeant Richard Samuel Veale (421140) (Navigator)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/38/227