CREW MEMBER PROFILE

Surname:

SMITH

First Name/s:

Edwin Donald

No Image

Service No/s:

1281961 67687

Service:

RAFVR

Branch:

Pilot

Awards:

Mentioned in Dispatches New Year Honours List 1 Jan 1943 page 41
Return

SERVICE RECORDS

Date

Event

Aircraft Flown
01 Jan 1940

Enlisted at Uxbridge (tbc) Precise date tbc.

28 May 1941

Discharged on appointment to commission.

29 May 1941

Appointed to commission as Pilot Officer on probation (London Gazette 27 Jun 41, p3687).

29 May 1942

Promoted to Flying Officer (war substantive) (London Gazette 23 Jun 42, p2765.

01 Jan 1943

Mentioned in Dispatches NYHL 01 Jan 43 page 41

01 Dec 1943

No.576 Squadron 'A' Flight, Elsham Wolds. Precise date tbc

Lancaster
06 Jan 1944

Failed to return from Operations.

576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS

Date

Aircraft

Code

Flight Details

T/O

Land

Flt Time

Crew

24 Dec 1943

DV333

UL-C2

BERLIN

0020

0810

7h50

P1   Flt Lt E.D. Smith
P2   
FE   Sgt B.W. Suffolk
AB   Fg Off C. Ashcroft
NAV  Fg Off M.L. Abramson RCAF
WOp  WO1 F.A. Larsen RCAF
MUG  Flt Sgt A.R. McAlhone
RG   Sgt N.A. Dixon RCAF

NOTES:

Flown night of 23/24 Dec 43. Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 56x 30lb and 1122x 4lb incendiaries.

29 Dec 1943

DV333

UL-C2

BERLIN

1715

0005

6h50

P1   Flt Lt E.D. Smith
P2   
FE   Sgt B.W. Suffolk
AB   Fg Off C. Ashcroft
NAV  Fg Off M.L. Abramson RCAF
WOp  WO1 F.A. Larsen RCAF
MUG  Flt Sgt A.R. McAlhone
RG   Sgt N.A. Dixon RCAF

NOTES:

Flown night of 29/30 Dec 43. Target: Built-up area. Load 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 56x 30lb and 1032x 4lb incendiaries

01 Jan 1944

DV333

UL-C2

BERLIN

0015

0820

8h05

P1   Flt Lt E.D. Smith
P2   
FE   Sgt B.W. Suffolk
AB   Fg Off C. Ashcroft
NAV  Fg Off M.L. Abramson RCAF
WOp  WO1 F.A. Larsen RCAF
MUG  Flt Sgt A.R. McAlhone
RG   Sgt N.A. Dixon RCAF

NOTES:

Flown night of 31 Dec 43/01 Jan 44. Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 56x 30lb and 1212x 4lb incendiaries.

02 Jan 1944

DV333

UL-C2

BERLIN

2330

0830

9h00

P1   Flt Lt E.D. Smith
P2   Sgt A.L. Puttock
FE   Sgt B.W. Suffolk
AB   Fg Off C. Ashcroft
NAV  Fg Off M.L. Abramson RCAF
WOp  WO1 F.A. Larsen RCAF
MUG  Flt Sgt A.R. McAlhone
RG   Sgt N.A. Dixon RCAF

NOTES:

Flown night of 02/03 Jan 44. Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 56x 30lb and 1122x 4lb incendiaries. Diverted (airfield tbd).

06 Jan 1944

DV333

UL-C2

STETTIN

0005

FTR

nk

P1   Flt Lt E.D. Smith
P2   Sgt L.H. Kirkpatrick
FE   Sgt B.W. Suffolk
AB   Fg Off S.R. Wilkins
NAV  Fg Off K.H.D. Wilde
WOp  WO1 F.A. Larsen RCAF
MUG  Flt Sgt A.R. McAlhone
RG   Sgt N.A. Dixon RCAF

NOTES:

Target: Built-up area. Load: 1x 4000lb 'cookie', 56x 30lb and 1122x 4lb incendiaries. The aircraft was attacked and downed by a night fighter on its way to the target. The Loss Card states, ‘A/c was attacked and set on fire by a fighter near Stettin. After diving quickly, a/c pulled out at 6,000’ and Wilkins jumped clear. Wilkins says, ‘I noticed fuselage in front of main spar burning furiously. Unable to see whether Larsen (WOp) had been (_____) but I think it very unlikely that he managed to survive the flames. Failure of intercom: after first fighter attack & contact with rest of crew broken. No information of Dixon (RG).’

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