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Jerrold Alpine Smith born 26 March 1921
Older brother of Rod Smith
enlisted in the RCAF on 22 Oct 1940
Trained at:
1 ITS Toronto - January 1941
10 EFTS Mount Hope, Ontario -
9 SFTS Summerside, PEI - where he
Graduated 14 July as Pilot and Commissioned
To UK
57 OTU Hawarden - September
Posted to
152 Squadron on 21 October
601 Squadron end of April
|
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May 9th
1942, Operation Bowery - Jerry Smith and Lt.Cmdr. David McCampbell* exchange caps after
Jerry managed the world's first Spitfire landing on an aircraft
carrier - without a tail-hook no less. Immediately after taking
off from the USS Wasp in Spitfire BR126, X-3, the auxiliary tank on Jerry's Spit failed to draw and he was forced to turn back.
He was told to ditch in the water but decided to try and save
the plane (and his ass from the cold water no doubt) and land
on the flight deck - the Spit stopped just feet from the end of
the ship. Malta would have to wait a bit for Jerry's arrival. |
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Air Force Casualties
Ottawa, Sept. 17, 1942 - (CP) - The Royal Canadian Air
Force today issued its 372nd casualty list of the war, containing the
names of nine men killed on active service overseas, three missing arid
believed killed during overseas air operations, and ten missing after
overseas air operations.
The list of casualties includes - with next of kin:
SMITH, Jerrold Alpine, Pilot Officer, missing after air
operations overseas. D. A. Smith (father), 3052 18th Avenue, Regina.
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Jerry and Rod
Smith as young boys living in Regina.
Christopher Shores has just released a book entitled
"The Spitfire Smiths" which tells the story of the brothers
Smith |
|
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Victories Include :
15 June 1942
-
-
-
10 July
12 July
18 July
24 July
26 July
28 July
10 Aug **
|
1 Ju88
1 Ju87
1 BF109
1 Ju88
1 Ju88
1 BF109
1/2 Ju88
1 Ju88
1 Ju88
1/5 Ju88
1 Ju88
|
Destroyed
Probable
Damaged
Damaged
Destroyed
Damaged
Probable
Destroyed
Damaged
Destroyed
Possible |
S. Pantelleria
S. Pantelleria
over convoy
over convoy
Malta
Malta
Malta
Malta
30 m N. Malta
Malta
Malta |
175
175
BR381
BR381
BP952
BR242
BR176
BR242
BP952
BR242
BR336P
|
4.2-3.2 / 1.5 / 4
** On 10 August 1942 he took off to patrol
over some minesweepers which came under attack. He was last seen
chasing a Ju 88 towards Sicily in BR366 'P'. Rod searched for
hours but found no sign of man or plane. An aircraft of 9/KG 77,
3Z+ET, flown by Fw Helmut Streubel, was also lost, and in the
absence of any claims for a Ju 88 by any other unit on this date,
it's possible that he shot this down, but was again hit by the
rear gunner when pressing his attack as close as had been his
habit, coming down in the sea, but not being found. His name is
commemorated on the Malta Memorial. |
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* Jerry was unofficially awarded a set of US
Navy wings for this feet by the deck landing officer, David McCampbell,
who would go on to become the US Navy's highest-scoring fighter
pilot and received the Medal
of Honor for his efforts. |
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--- Canadian Aces ---
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