LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Raymond Purser SMITH
Service No: 420780
Born: Tenterfield NSW, 19 October 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 57 Squadron (RAF), RAF East Kirkby, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No, 57 Squadron Lancaster aircraft W4948), Lincolnshire, 23 September 1943, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Raymond Stanley and Madge Ivy Smith, of New Lambton, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: New Lambton NSW
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Brother of Sergeant Frank Raymond Smith (403537)
Lancaster W4948 took off from RAF East Kirkby at 1918 hours on the night of 22/23rd September 1943, detailed to bomb Hanover, Germany. When returning to base W 4948 was intercepted by an enemy intruder aircraft and shot down at 0043 hours over Driby, 15 kms south south east of Louth, Lincolnshire. Five of the crew were killed and two baled out as the aircraft fell out of control.
The crew members of W4948 were:
Sergeant R C Brown (1320770) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) Baled out
Flight Sergeant A Cherrington (941337) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) Baled out
Pilot Officer Gordon Alexander Duff (413078) (Pilot)
Sergeant Harold Roy Ellmer (1294158) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant William Pryde (417232) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer Phillip Neville Rolfe (136361) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Raymond Purser Smith (420780) (Mid Upper 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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/38/292