LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant William James SMITH
Service No: 400942
Born: Kalgoorlie WA, 10 December 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 November 1940 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 457 Squadron, RAF Redhill, Surrey
Died: Air Operations: (No. 457 Squadron Spitfire aircraft VB BM180), France, 9 May 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Cassel Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Samuel William and Freda Constance Adelaide Smith, of Whittlesea, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Whittlesea VIC
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Sergeant Smith’s remains were discovered in 2011 and he was interred in 2012. His name previously appeared on Panel 113, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK.
No. 457 had flown, during its first full month of operations (April 1942), 376 sorties of which all except forty-four were flights involving penetration of enemy territory. The Fighter Command offensive continued on much the same scale during May, and in the first nine days, the Australians flew 7 sweeps and 6 Circuses besides providing a further 12 aircraft for coastal patrols. The pattern of operations, the areas patrolled, even the Circus targets, were in general the same as during April and on only two Circuses and one sweep did No. 457 meet any opposition. The sweep encounter on 4th May was a fleeting engagement but, on 1st and 9th May, bitter German attacks were made and on each occasion two Spitfires were shot down.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Page 348
On 9 May 1942, Spitfire BM180 took off at 1230 hours, one of 12 aircraft detailed to carry out an operational sortie over enemy territory in France. The squadron were part of a Diversionary Wing flying at 26,000 feet, the target being Bruges, Belgium in the case of the bombers. BM180 was last seen by his No 2 somewhere high up and near the coast of France in a dog fight with enemy aircraft, the Squadron having engaged a number of enemy aircraft on the homeward journey. BM180 failed to return to base.
The four Spitfire aircraft lost in this period were:
Sergeant Andrew Francis Peacock (403371) lost 1 May 1942
Flight Lieutenant Harold Leslie North (41608) (RAFVR) lost 1 May 1942
Sergeant Richard Arthur George Halliday DFC (407246) lost 9 May 1942
Sergeant William James Smith (400942) lost 9 May 1942
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
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, 163/162/350
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002