LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Norman Lindsay SMITH
Service No: 401251
Born: Richmond VIC, 26 August 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 January 1941
Unit: No. 97 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Woodhall Spa
Died: Air Operations: (No. 97 Squadron Lancaster aircraft R5696), Germany, 11 July 1942, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Malbork Commonwealth War Cemetery, Poland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alexander and Ethel Smith; husband of Edith Winnifred Smith, of Alphington, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Alphington VIC
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1642 hours on 11 July1942 Lancaster R5696 took off from Woodhall Spa detailed to bomb Danzig. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. Owing to bad weather encountered en route the formation was broken before reaching the target. Over the target searchlights, heavy and light flak were encountered. The base of the cloud was 5,000 feet.
The aircraft crashed in the target area and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of R5696 were:
Pilot Officer Joseph Norman Eslick (106076) (RAFVR) (Front Gunner)
Sergeant John Forsyth (1007363) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Alan Thomas Grossmith (1280705) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Lieutenant Charles William Miller DFC (36270) (RAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Aiden Ernest Nickerson (R/64786) (RCAF) (Mid Gunner)
Sergeant Norman Lindsay Smith (401251) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Robert John Westgate (J/15812) (RCAF) (Rear 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, 163/162/401