LEST WE FORGET

Flying Officer Ronald Richard SMITH

Service No: 420793
Born: Dulwich Hill NSW, 17 March 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 57 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station East Kirkby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 57 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB723), France, 5 July 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Aubermesnil-aux-Erables Churchyard, Seine-Maritime, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Richard Henry and Mary Philomena Smith, of Belmore, New South Wales. Australia
Roll of Honour: Belmore NSW
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 2322 hours on the night of 4 July 1944 Lancaster JB723 took off from East Kirkby detailed to destroy a flying bomb site at St Leu-d’Esserent, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at approximately 0100 hours at Aubermesnil-aux-Erables (Seine Maritime) some 2 kms south of Foucarmont, and east south east of Dieppe, France. All the crew members were killed.

The crew members of JB723 were:

Pilot Officer Frederick William Hood (J/88657) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Robert Denholm Mercer (1823010) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Walter Raymond Moore (R/195753) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant William Arthur Roberts (1030803) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Ronald Richard Smith (429793) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Charles Frederick Spencer (1387303) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Ernest Albert Wood (639067) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)

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, 166/38/592

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