Donald Phillip Smeed SMITH DFC, MiD

SMITH, Donald Phillip Smeed

Service Number: 400495
Enlisted: 14 September 1940
Last Rank: Squadron Leader
Last Unit: No. 467 Squadron (RAAF)
Born: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 13 March 1917
Home Town: Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Industrial Chemist
Died: Natural Causes, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 2003
Cemetery: Not yet discovered
Memorials:
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World War 2 Service

14 Sep 1940: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Squadron Leader, 400495, Aircrew Training Units
1 Oct 1941: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 400495, No. 103 Squadron (RAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45
31 Dec 1943: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Squadron Leader, 400495, No. 467 Squadron (RAAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45
10 May 1944: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Squadron Leader, 400495, No. 467 Squadron (RAAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45, Shot down over LIlle, the only survivor among the crew of 12/86 aircraft lost on this raid. Evaded until September 1944
10 Dec 1945: Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Squadron Leader, 400495, Substantive Flight Lieutenant

Bad night over Lille - 10/11 May 1944

Lille is a major rail hub in northern France close to the Belgian border and a major junction between Paris, to the south, Calais to the west and Brussels (Belgium) to the north. It was a key target in the run up to D Day in June 1944 when a major bombing offensive called the Transportation Plan, was directed at transport infrastructure, to impede the provision of reinforcements to the intended battlefront - the location of which was, of course, top secret at this point in time.

On the night of 10/11 May 1944 a large fleet of bombers were despatched to bomb a series of rail yards in northern France, at Lille, Lens (further south), Courtrai, Ghent (further north in Belgium) and Dieppe on the Atlantic coast. Over 500 aircraft were involved; the majority were Lancasters but also Halifaxes and some fast and nimble Mosquitos performing a Pathfinder and Target marking role.

Both 463 and 467 Squadrons RAAF were scheduled to take part in the Lille raid on the evening of 10/11 May. It was to be the worst night of the war for the two Waddington squadrons. Of 31 aircraft despatched between them, six failed to return. The total losses of the raid were 12 so the two RAAF squadrons represented 50% of the total losses. A total of 42 men were missing the next morning. This represented a loss rate of 20%. The impact of the empty seats at breakfast would have been devastating.

This was followed the next night by the loss of 467 Squadron's CO, decorated Pacific veteran GPCAPT John 'Sam' Balmer OBE DFC and his crew, leading another Transportation Plan raid.

There was only one survivor from the six Australian aircraft. Squadron Leader Phil Smith, DFC, flying B for Baker in 467 Squadron was thrown clear of his exploding aircraft, and managed to parachute to safety minus a flying boot and then spent four months evading the Germans. B for Baker exploded as it was dropping its bombs; it may have suffered a similar fate to JO-J in 463 Squadron - been destroyed by a German night fighter attacking from below (but unlikely given they were directly over the target where the risk from flak and falling bombs tended to discourage night fighter attack), been hit by flak or most likely, it may have collided with another aircraft

The story of JO-J's loss from 463 Squadron, provides an insight as to the fate that befell a number of aircraft that night and the cause of losses that was only identified the following month when a German nightfighter fitted with upward firing cannon, was captured after it landed at an occupied airfield by mistake. JOJ was shot down on its way home, by Lt Hans Schmitz flying a Messerschmitt Bf110G night fighter variant with upward firing cannon, nick-named 'Schrage Musik' by the Germans. The aircraft positioned itself in a blind spot under the Lancaster, before unleashing a hail of 20mm cannon fire into the underside of the bigger plane. The effect was often catastrophic as was the case with JOJ, which broke up in mid-air and rained wreckage in and around the Dumoulin quarry near Langemark in northern Belgium. There were no survivors.

LL881 - 22/03/44 to 10/05/44, Callsign JO-E: 11 Missions.
The first on 22/23-Mar-1944 to Frankfurt.
The 9th mission on 10/11-May-1944 to Lille when LL881 was listed as missing.

418915 FSGT John Henry BROWN RAAF WOP 31 HELLEMMES
427445 FSGT George Martin DANN RAAF RGNR 30 FOREST/MARQUE
430019 FSGT Colin Henry EASTGATE RAAF MUG 29 FOREST/MARQUE
410493 FLGOFF George Oswald JONES RAAF NAV 23 FOREST/MARQUE
10119 POFFR William John LEWIS RAAF FENG 32 FOREST/MARQUE
416443 WOFF Alan Richard MacKENZIE RAAF BAim 26 FOREST/MARQUE
420413 FLGOFF Dudley Francis WARD RAAF PILOT 24 FOREST/MARQUE
8 missions were flown by this crew.

LL-882 - 463 Sqn. 24/03/44 to 10/05/44, Callsign JO-J 'The Langemark Lancaster - see related story.
There were 15 missions recorded in the Operational Record with the first in March 25/26 1944 to Aulnoye.

407199 FLOFF Robert McKerlie CROFT RAAF MUG 27 WEVELGUM
407821 FLOFF David Payne CROSTON RAAF RGNR 32 WEVELGUM
1443752 FSGT Bertram FRASER RAF BAim 22 WEVELGUM
134697 FLOFF Ronald JACQUES RAF NAV ? WEVELGUM
1802369 SGT Harry Law MOLYNEUX RAF FENG 21 WEVELGUM
422817 SQNLDR Mervyn POWELL RAAF PILOT 29 WEVELGUM
406700 FLTLT William Neil READ RAAF WOP 22 WEVELGUM

HK535 - 463 Sqn.
20/12/43 to 10/05/44, Callsign JO-N 11 Missions.
First mission to Frankfurt 20/21-Dec-1943. This was their 11th Mission

24519 FSGT Richard William ASH RAAF MUG 20 HELLEMMES
1609134 SGT Raymond Herbert BOULTON RAF FENG 19 HELLEMMES
422414 FSGT Ivan CHAPPLE RAAF NAV 24 HELLEMMES
423878 POFF Walter Thomas PETERS RAAF BAim 24 HELLEMMES
1459044 SGT Leonard Edgard PRINGLE RAF WOP ? HELLEMMES
425226 FLTLT Eric Mc Laren SCOTT RAAF PILOT 22 FOREST/MARQUE
424888 WO William Allen SLADE RAF RGNR 23 MISSING

No. 467 Squadron RAAF

LM475 Callsign PO-B for 'Baker'. A very experienced crew. First mission Dec 1943 See blog link in Sidebar. This was their 20th Mission and the last for Phil Smith to complete his second Tour.

1352851 SGT Eric Reginald HILL RAF MUG 22 LEZENNES
425413 FSGT Alistair Dale JOHNSTON RAAF WOP 24 LEZENNES
658844 FSGT Jeremiah PARKER RAF BAim 30 LEZENNES
423311 FSGT Gilbert Firth PATE RAAF RGNR 27 LEZENNES
412686 WOFF Royston William PURCELL RAAF NAV 22 LEZENNES
400495 SQNLDR Donald Phillip Smeed SMITH RAAF PILOT EVADE the only survivor from 12 aircraft
1850279 SGT Kenneth Harold TABOR RAF FENG LEZENNES

LL788 Callsign PO-G
2221020 SGT Charles Arthur NASH RAF MUG 23 FOREST/MARQUE
424914 FSGT Herbert William Reid FERGUSON RAAF RGNR 28 HELLEMMES
417176 FSGT Brian Gordon GRASBY RAAF WOP 21 HELLEMMES
422506 FSGT William Stanley HANCOCK RAAF BAim 22 HELLEMMES
1431527 SGT Cyril DUTHOIT RAF FENG LEZENNES
420870 POFF William Eldred FELSTEAD RAAF PILOT 22 LEZENNES
1580333 SGT John MELLOR RAF NAV 30 LEZENNES

EE143 Callsign PO-J
427870 FSGT Bernard Francis CODY RAAF MUG 23 ANNAPPES
2220133 SGT George BENNETT RAF RGNR 27 HELLEMMES
419298 FLOFF Harry Ronald CROUT RAAF BAim 29 HELLEMMES
414997 POFF Douglas HISLOP RAAF PILOT 23 HELLEMMES
1891298 SGT Bertram Stephen LONGHURST RAF FENG 37 HELLEMMES
25243 FLOFF John Francis TUCKER RAAF WOP 25 HELLEMMES
424239 FSGT Kevin Campbell WAIGHT RAAF NAV 20 HELLEMMES

Three other Australians were lost in other aircraft on the raid;

414761 POFF Hugh DonaldD CAMPBELL RAAF PILOT 23 9 Sqn LM528 WS-D HELLEMMES
423359 FLOFF Albert Edward TYNE RAAF BAim 33 9 Sqn LM528 WS-D FOREST/MARQUE
425794 FSGT Walter James WHITE RAAF AG 23 9 Sqn LM520 WS-X FOREST/MARQUE

This remains a work in progress

We are tracking images of these men; if you can help, Register and join over 20,000 people who have contributed material to the site.

Thanks to ADF Serials website for this detail, and to the researchers of 'Aircrew Remembered' to which links have been posted.
Thanks also to Conrad Dumoulin, Belgium for providing assistance in the preparation of this article and that of the 'Langemark Lancaster' to which his father was a witness.

Thanks to Adam Purcell, his excellent blog @somethingverybig.com and the story of 'B for Baker' of No. 467 Squadron
CWGC websites and cemetery pages
WW2 Nominal Roll
AWM Roll of Honour

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Biography contributed by Steve Larkins

Donald Philip Smeed SMITH, DFC, MID (1917-2003)

Donald Philip Smeed Smith – known universally as Phil – was born in Sydney New South Wales on13th March 1917

By the outbreak of war in 1939, he was an industrial chemist working in the sugar industry, employed by the Colonial Sugar Refinery (CSR) at Ingham in Queensland.

Like many other young men of the time, he enlisted for active service shortly afterwards;  in his case he enlisted in Melbourne, into the RAAF on 19 September 1940, when Britain was engaged in the life or death struggle of the Battle of Britain.  He had become part of the Empire Air Training Scheme designed to provide aircrew to supplement the Royal Air Force in its struggle against Nazi Germany ad Fascist Italy.

He undertook initial training at No. 2 Initial Training School (ITS) Bradfield Park, before proceeding to Tamworth and No. 6 Elementary Flying Training School (6 EFTS) where he went solo in a De Havilland 82 Tiger Moth in November of that year.

After completing his Elementary phase of training he embarked for the UK arriving in July 1941 to complete his flying training before being posted to a bomber squadron, No 103 Squadron RAF.  He flew the first operation of his tour in October 1941, out of their base at Elsham Wolds, operating the sturdy Vickers Wellington twin-engine medium bomber.

After surviving 30 missions by June 1942 , his Tour of Operations was deemed 'completed' and as was usually the case at the time, Phil was posted as an instructor pilot to take advantage of his recent operational experience. In late 1943 he returned to operations via No. 1668 Conversion Unit at Syerston, in order to convert to the Avro Lancaster heavy bomber. 

By this time he had been promoted to the rank of Squadron Leader, and he was to be 'joined up ' with his crew with whom they would be assigned to an operational Squadron.  In their case they were assigned to No. 467 Squadron, RAAF , an Article XV 'national' squadron under the terms of the Empire Air Training Agreement between Britain and the Commonwealth.  Despite the fact that it was notionally an RAAF Squadron, about 40% of the aircrew were RAF / other Commonwealth personnel. 

Phil was fated to be involved in what was later described as the worst night of the war for No. 467 and its sister Squadron, No. 463 also an RAAF Lancaster Squadron,  both based at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire.

As part of a series of 'Transportation Plan' raids over Europe in the lead up to D Day, both the Australian squadrons were scheduled to attack the French city of Lille, very close to the Belgian border, on the night of 10/11 May 1944, in order to disrupt the rail network and obstruct German reinforcement of the as-yet-undisclosed beach-head of the expected Allied amphibious invasion of Europe on D-Day.

The Lille raid was Phil’s 51st operational flight.  In the course of the raid a total of 12 aircraft were lost including three each from No. 463 and 467 Squadrons.  Phil Smith was to be the only survivor among the 85 men crewing the 12 aircraft lost that night.

Not even he could remember exactly what brought the aeroplane down. He simply found himself being ejected from the aircraft, as the aircraft broke up around him as they were in the process of releasing their bombload.  Whether it was flack or a collision with an unseen aircraft, or less likely interdiction by a night fighter, Phil's aircraft crashed in pieces with the rest of the crew trapped inside. Phil, having lost a flying boot in the process,  descended by parachute. After a short-lived attempt to walk to neutral territory in Spain, Phil was sheltered by a French family until the invasion forces caught up in September 1944, when he was repatriated to the UK and then back to Australia.

Awarded a Mentioned in Despatches for his tour with No. 103 Squadron, Phil had been recommended for a Distinguished Flying Cross for his part in No. 467 Squadron operations up to the point of his being declared 'missing'. It was duly gazetted but unbeknown to him, as he was at the time evading capture in northern France.

Phil returned to Australia shortly thereafter. He was hospitalised in early 1945 with peritonitis. His wife later related that he was saved by a massive dose of penicillin. Phil wasn’t demobilised until 10 December 1945, spending the remaining time of his five years in the Air Force as Commanding Officer of 88 Operational Base Unit, Bundaberg.

He met and married Mollie after the war, had a family and returned to the sugar industry.

Phil Smith died in Sydney New South Wales in 2003.

 

Thanks to Adam Purcell and his excellent blog "Something Very Big" (somethingverybig.com)  written in honour of his great uncle Jack Purcell, a member of Phil Smyth's crew lost on the Lille raid.

 

 

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