Smart, Mervin John (Flight Sergeant, b.1922-d.1943)

Collection relating to the Second World War service of 416798 Flight Sergeant Mervin John 'Merv' Smart, 466 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Australia and the United Kingdom, 1941-1943.

Wallet 1 of 1 – Consists of two folders of material relating to Flight Sergeant Smart.

Folder 1 of 2 contains one log book of Flight Sergeant Smart, with entries dated between 12 December 1941 and 30 August 1943. It covers the period of his pilot training and service with 466 Squadron. The log book records details such as dates and times of flights, aircraft types and numbers, crew members, and purposes of flights. Some of the purposes of flights include general flying training, advanced flying training, operational training, cross country flights, aircraft conversion, and bombing operations targeting enemy-occupied Europe. The back cover of the log book contains one sheet of training notes and one blank airgraph form.

Folder 2 of 2 contains letters relating to Flight Sergeant Smart. It consists of:
2x Letters from Flight Sergeant Smart to his sister’s fiancée, Flying Officer Allan John Vial, written from Yorkshire, United Kingdom, dated 10 April and 23 August 1943. In these letters, Smart writes of collecting a crew, the difference of flying conditions between Australia and the United Kingdom, plans for his coming leave, and shooting practice.
1x Note from Flying Officer Vial to Flight Sergeant Smart, dated 2 September 1943. This note was left by Flying Officer Vial for Flight Sergeant Smart at the Boomerang Club in London.
1x Letter from Flight Sergeant John James Osmond to Flying Officer Vial, written from Yorkshire, United Kingdom, [date unknown], [includes envelope]. In his letter, Flight Sergeant Osmond relates the circumstances of Flight Sergeant Smart’s death.

Flight Sergeant Mervin John Smart enlisted to the Royal Australian Air Force on 11 September 1941. He trained as a pilot in Western Australia, and travelled to the United Kingdom to complete his operational training. Flight Sergeant Smart went on to serve with 466 Squadron, based in Yorkshire, United Kingdom. With this unit, he participated in bombing operations against enemy-occupied Europe. On 31 August 1943, Flight Sergeant Smart was en route to his bombing target when his aircraft collided with another aircraft over Goole, Yorkshire. Both aircraft crashed, and both crews, including Flight Sergeant Smart, were killed. He is buried at Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire.