LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Milton Frederick SMITH DFC
Service No: 414734
Born: Allora QLD, 16 October 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 November 1941
Unit: No. 1660 Conversion Unit (RAF), RAF Station Swinderby
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 30 June 1944
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1660 Conversion Unit Stirling aircraft EP209), near Swinderby, 17 June 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Laver Smith and Ellen Wilhelmina Smith, of Helidon, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Helidon QLD
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
The Citation for the DFC awarded to the then Pilot Officer Smith of No. 97 Squadron (RAF) is that of a General Citation promulgated in the London Gazette of 30 June 1944, page 3090.
On the 17 June 1944, Stirling EP209 took off from Swinderby on a non-operational flight to practice circuits, landings and three engine flying. The aircraft crashed at 0345 hours near Stapleford, 10 miles south west from Lincoln, after taking violent evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision. The aircraft had completed two circuits and landings and took off for the third time. The Captain decided to demonstrate 3 engine flying, as detailed, and as a consequence the starboard outer was feathered. At this stage some member of the crew called out a warning of an aircraft nearby. Flying Officer Smith took control and made a steep turn to the right with an engine on the starboard side out of action, which resulted in temporary loss of control with the aircraft probably diving, and as a result it hit some trees and crashed. A Court of inquiry into the accident concluded that: “it was safe to assume that the aircraft did a steep turn in order to avoid a collision.” Five crew members were killed in the crash, two were fatally injured and three were injured.
The crew members of EP209 were:
Sergeant E E Allen (1042280) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air) Injured
Sergeant D F Cook (1807509) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner) Injured
Flight Sergeant Francis Arnold Martin (919965) (RAFVR) (Pilot under instruction)
Sergeant D G Smith* (RAF) (Rear Gunner) Injured
Flying Officer Milton Frederick Smith DFC (414734) (Instructor Pilot)
Sergeant Jim Stabler (1593642) (RAFVR) (First Flight Engineer)
Sergeant John Totten (1796569) (RAFVR) (Second Flight Engineer) Fatally injured, Died: 17 June 1944
Flight Sergeant Harry William Robert Tufts (R/155964) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Ronald Howard Turrell DFM (1299326) (RAFVR) (Staff Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Raymond Lister Wade (573758) (RAF) (Navigator) Fatally injured, Died: 17 June 1944
* Sergeant Smith is listed in Chorley but not in the Casualty Message held on the NAA archive.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Chorley W R, Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 8 Heavy Conversion Units and Miscellaneous Units 1939-1947, Midland Counties Publications UK, 2003
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/38/574