Informal portrait of 403380 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) James Alexander 'Alec' Saint-Smith, 460 ...

Informal portrait of 403380 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) James Alexander 'Alec' Saint-Smith, 460 Squadron RAAF, seated in the cockpit of the Avro Lancaster bomber 'G for George'. As the first regular captain of the Australian War Memorial's Lancaster 'G for George' (W4789), he flew the aircraft on its first operational sortie to Mannheim in Germany on 6 December 1942. Flt Sgt Saint-Smith flew the aircraft on another 12 occasions, using it as his regular aircraft for the remainder of his tour, which ended in March 1943. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in March 1943 for gallantry in a mission over Berlin. Later promoted to the rank of Flying Officer, Saint-Smith undertook a second tour of operations with 627 Squadron RAF. During his 73rd operation, Saint-Smith was killed in action on 29 June 1944 when his Mosquito IV (DZ516) crashed near Vaulx, Belgium. He and his navigator, Flying Officer (FO) Geoffrey Ernest Heath DFC, DFM, RAAF (who as an NCO had served as Saint-Smith's navigator throughout his first tour of operations, with 460 Squadron) are now buried at Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension in France. FO Saint-Smith was posthumously awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross on 24 August 1944 for his ‘conspicuous gallantry and determination' in successfully completing numerous sorties over Germany and France with 627 Squadron.