LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Phillip Francis SMITH
Service No: 427206
Born: Subiaco WA, 21 March 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 May 1942
Unit: No. 75 Squadron (RAF), RAF Mepal, Cambridgeshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 75 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ND911), Germany, 20 November 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Joseph and Ireen Elizabeth Smith, of Maylands, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Kings Park WA
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Honour Avenues, Kings Park WA
Lancaster ND911 took off from RAF Mepal at 1247 hours on 20th November 1944 detailed to bomb Homburg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Six of the crew were killed and Sergeant Gray became a Prisoner of War.
The crew members of ND911 were:
Sergeant Dennis George Albert Bryer (1874880) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant John Gray (1777605) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Flying Officer Leonard Arthur Martin (153528) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Patrick Leo McCartin (419328) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Miles (187426) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Phillip Francis Smith (427206) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant William John Warlow (1653307) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
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, 166/38/795