Operation: Enemy Shipping

Date: 23rd April 1945 (Monday)

Unit: No. 609 Squadron (motto - 'Tally Ho') 123 Wing. 84 Group. Second Tactical Air Force

Type: Typhoon Ib

Serial: PD572

Code: PR-D

Base: B.103 Plantlunne

Location: Nieuwolda, Netherlands

Pilot: W/O. Stanley Edgar Smith AUS/417018 RAAF Age 23. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During the afternoon of the 23rd April at 14:30 hrs W/O. Stan Smith took off as part of a group of four aircraft detailed to attack shipping off the North East coast of Holland.

After attacking what was thought to be a minesweeper off Emden at 15:00 hrs he called to say that his aircraft had been hit by flak. He was seen to lose height gradually with black smoke coming from the Typhoons exhaust. It was then seen to have a long stream of flame from under the aircraft.

The aircraft then dived into the ground catching fire on impact. Shortly afterwards a parachute was seen to land about 250 yards from the crashed aircraft - he stated at Termunton. It is thought that he had baled out too low for his parachute to deploy fully, killing the Australian.

Burial details:

The pilot was buried by local Dutch people who tend to his grave even today.

W/O. Stanley Edgar Smith. Nieuw-Scheemda Protestant Churchyard. Plot 1. Row 2. Grave 8. Born on the 10th May 1921 at Hawthorn, Victoria, the son of Fritz Arnold Smith and Ethel Beatrice Smith and husband of Vera Mavis Smith, of 257 Goodwood Road, Colonel Light Gardens, South Australia.

For further details our thanks to the following sources shown below.

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