LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Vincent SMITH MSM
Service No: 684
Born: Windsor VIC, October 1890
Enlisted in the Army: 1 February 1916
Last Serving Unit: No. 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM), 22 September 1917
Died: Illness (Meningitis), Caulfield VIC, 18 March 1920, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Brighton General Cemetery, Brighton VIC
CWGC Additional Information: No additional information
Place of Association: Middle Park VIC
Remembered: Panel 188, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
MSM Citation: On 18 June 1917 at South Carlton at 1:25 pm, Sergeant Alfred Stephen Holmes RFC* in RE8 aircraft 3554 crashed. The machine caught fire on hitting the ground. This man made three very gallant attempts to rescue Sergeant Holmes and at last succeeded with the help of three men in dragging him from the burning wreckage. He sustained severe burns in the attempt.
* Sergeant Holmes was a student pilot at No. 61 Training School and died from his injuries on the same day.
Three other Soldiers were awarded the MSM in the same action.
Air Mechanic Second Class Thomas James Carmody (530)
Air Mechanic First Class Cyril Mervyn Thomas Lee (630)
Sergeant Abner Gilchrist Dalzell (666)
Sergeant Smith died as the result of his War Service.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record B2455, SMITH V
Bibliography:
Muller, P. (Peter) and Hutchinson, J. (John) Secrets Revealed: a brief history of No. 3 Squadron RAAF, Lutheran Publishing House Adelaide SA 5000, 1991
Wrigley, H.N. (Henry Neilsen) (6) The Battle Below: Being the history of No. 3 Squadron AFC, Errol G. Knox Sydney NSW, 1935