LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Edward Patrick SMITH
Service No: 420713
Born: Parkes NSW, 19 March 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 206 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Leuchars
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 206 Squadron Liberator aircraft EV873), Leuchars area, 20 July 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Leuchars Cemetery, Fifeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William and Julia Anastasia Smith, of Greystones, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Merrylands NSW
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Merrylands RSL Club-World War II Memorial, Merrylands NSW
Remembered: Memorial Avenue Plaques, Merrylands NSW
Remembered: Victory in the Pacific Memorial Wall and Fountain, Merrylands NSW
On 20 July 1944, Liberator EV873 took off from Leuchars detailed to carry out a daytime operational flight. The aircraft crashed and eight of the crew members were killed and two slightly injured.
The crew members of EV873 were:
Sergeant Dennis Braithwaite (1672465) (RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant George Alfred Girling (1586999) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Charles John Greenhill (1877699) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant James Douglas Hancock (64914) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Hoyle (1488202) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Slightly Injured
Flight Sergeant Nadeau (R/174810) (RCAF) (Air Gunner) Slightly Injured
Flight Sergeant John Charles Lindsay Small (422734) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Edward Patrick Smith (420713) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Arthur Thomas (1575800) (RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Flying Officer Archie Tulloch (J/28995) (RCAF) (Second Pilot)
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/38/617
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Jay, Alwyn, Endurance; Coastal Command Liberator Operations 1941-5, Banner Books, Maryborough QLD, 4650, 1996