British War Medal 1939-45 : Flying Officer J A Saint-Smith, RAAF

Places
Accession Number OL00389.006
Collection type Heraldry
Object type Medal
Physical description Cupronickel (alloy)
Maker Unknown
Place made United Kingdom
Date made c 1946
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Description

British War Medal 1939-45. Impressed around edge with recipient's details.

History / Summary

403380 Flying Officer James Alexander 'Alec' Saint-Smith, RAAF, served as an NCO pilot in 460 Squadron, RAAF, flying Lancasters, and later as an officer with 627 Squadron RAF, flying Mosquitos. As a flight sergeant he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in March 1943 for gallantry in a mission over Berlin. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944, as a flying officer with 627 Squadron. He was the captain of the Australian War Memorial's Lancaster W4789 'G for George' on its first operational sortie to Mannheim in Germany, on 6 December 1942. He flew the aircraft on another 12 occasions, using it as his regular aircraft for the remainder of his tour, which ended in March 1943. Undertaking a second tour of operations, Saint-Smith was killed in action on 29 June 1944, on his 73rd operation, when his Mosquito IV, DZ516, crashed near Vaulx, Belgium. He and his navigator, Flying Officer 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.