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This data is related to World War 2
Pilot Officer

William Smith

Service number 144291
Military unit 44 Sqdn Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Address Unknown
Date of birth
Date of death 09 Apr 1943 (22 years old)
Place of birth Unknown
Employment, education or hobbies Unknown
Family history

He was the son of Harry and Alice Smith of Hucknall, Nottinghamshire

Military history

Lancaster I R5898 took off 20.34 from Dunholme Lodge to bomb Duisburg . 'AC missing,' noted 44 Sqdn ORB (TNA Air 27/450/8, Record of Events April 1943) 'no signals or messages received.'

4 Fatalities: Smith (P), JH Salt (N), LJ Nash (W/Op), S Dixon (AB)

3 men survived to become POWs: AM Cowe (FE), JT Broughton (AG), H Waite (AG)

5 Mosquitoes and 104 Lancasteras were dispatched but hick cloud caused a scattered attack. 50 houses were destroyed and 27 people killed in Duisburg. Other bombs fell over a wide area of the Ruhr. 8 Lancasters were lost.' Middlebrook and Everitt, Bomber Command War Diaries p. 375

Extra information

Unknown

Photographs

No photos