LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Egbert SMITH
Service No: 414974
Born: Cairns QLD, 27 February 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 93 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 93 Squadron Spitfire aircraft JF466), Adriatic Sea region, 12 November 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Egbert and Bessie Smith, of Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 16, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 12 November 1944 Spitfire JF466 took off from Landing Ground 25 to carry out a reconnaissance over Fiume, Yugoslavia. The mission was led by Pilot Officer John James Lane (185363) (RAFVR) who reported by radio 25 minutes after take-off that he and Warrant Officer Smith were carrying on with the mission. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft and both failed to return to base with both Pilots remembered on the Malta Memorial.
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, 166/38/770