Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, 179 Squadron
Killed in Action on Sunday 8th November 1942
Aged 22
Delentem deleo (I destroy the destroyer)
Frederick was born in Badwell Ash in 1920 (Stow Q4-1920 4A:1739) Son of Isaac and Anna Maria SMITH (nee LARGENT), of Badwell Ash, Suffolk. Isaac had been a Sergeant Major in the Suffolk Regiment in the First World War.
As with all WW2 casualties, unless the relatives can help, it is quite difficult to trace the history of these men due to confidentiality rules.
No. 179 Squadron RAF was a maritime patrol/ anti submarine warfare squadron. At Skitten they were supplied with Leigh light equipped Wellingtons VIII from a flight of No. 172 Squadron RAF on 1 September 1942. They went to Gibraltar in November 1942, where they flew anti-submarine patrols over the Mediterranean and its approaches.
From Ross Mcneill on http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?16272-Sgt-Frederick-SMITH-179-Sqdn-11thMay-1942&p=95770 we have:-
" Wellington HX732, Coded E, Took off RAF Skitten, 16:59hrs 8/11/42 for a Flora P Patrol
Crew:- P/O D Fraser RCAF; Sgt Thompson; F/Sgt Davies; Sgt F V Smith; Sgt J P McGrath RCAF ; Sgt Hutchinson
Took off for a patrol but failed to return when and an engine cut in position XJDE 1210 and the Wellington was ditched 2 miles west of Vaila, Shetland, in position 60 11 42.8N 001 35 58.5W. At Walls four men manned a motor boat and put out, but they only found pieces of wreckage. The Aith motor life-boat was also launched, but found nothing. Of the six crew, four drifted ashore, in the darkness, in their dinghy, one went down with the aeroplane and the sixth was washed ashore dead. Sgt Smith is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial and Sgt McGrath from Edmonton, Alberta, rests in Wick Cemetery, Caithness. " The wreckage of this aircraft has been identified by divers and lies in deep water in the position listed.
Frederick Smith is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, panel 93
Click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details
