The Last Post Ceremony commemorating the service of (400942) Sergeant William James Smith, 457 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War

The Last Post Ceremony is presented in the Commemorative area of the Australian War Memorial every day. The ceremony commemorates more than 102,000 Australians who have given their lives in war and other operations and whose names are recorded on the Roll of Honour. At each ceremony the story behind one of the names on the Roll of Honour is told. The story for this day was on (400942) Sergeant William James Smith, 457 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Second World War.

** Due to a technical fault there is no recording of this Last Post Ceremony **

Sergeant William James Smith, 457 Squadron RAAF
KIA 9 May 1942
Photograph: SUK10025

Story delivered 18 July 2013

Today we remember and pay tribute to Sergeant William James Smith.

Smith was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, in 1917, but was raised in Victoria and educated at Melbourne High School. Before the war he worked as a clerk in the water supply office in Melbourne. He enlisted with the Royal Australian Air Force in November 1940 and although he had no previous flying experience, he trained as a pilot. He was posted to the RAAF's No. 457 Squadron, based on the Isle of Man.

Equipped with Supermarine Spitfires, No.457 Squadron became part of 9 Group of Fighter Command. It prepared Spitfire pilots for other squadrons, but in March 1942 it was redeployed for more active service. For the next two months it conducted patrols over south-east England and the English Channel; it also escorted bombing raids and conducted fighter sweeps to engage enemy aircraft in the skies above German-occupied France and Belgium.

On 9 May 1942, Smith and his squadron were heading home after escorting a bomber group on an operation into occupied France when they were "jumped" by more than 20 enemy Focke-Wulf 190 fighters. Smith was last seen engaged in a dogfight at 30,000 feet over the English Channel.

In the squadron's operations record book, Sergeant Smith's commanding officer wrote that he was "a good pilot and popular. His quiet, calm way of going about his duties gave confidence to his fellow pilots. He had been recommended for his Commission."

Sergeant Smith was just 24 years old when he died. His remains were discovered in northern France in October 2011 by a British film crew making a documentary about the Second World War. He was identified by his identification discs, which carried his name and service number. He has since been buried at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery at Cassel in France. His younger brother Bert, at that time aged 84 and the last surviving member of the pilot's immediate family, gave a moving eulogy at the funeral last year. "I tried so hard to fill his shoes when I was growing up," he told those gathered. "Bill, you will always be to us that dashing, handsome fighter pilot who gave his life for us, for his family, for his country and for the people of France. We shall never forget."

William Smith's name is listed on the Roll of Honour on my left, along with the almost 40,000 other Australians who died in the Second World War.

This is but one of the many stories of courage and sacrifice told here at the Australian War Memorial. We now remember Sergeant William James Smith, and all of those Australians who have given their lives in the service of our nation.