Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Vincent Smith who was born in England around 1891, the youngest son of Thomas Smith has a unique place in Australia’s military history. Enlisting in the Great War on 1 February 1916 as No. 684, he served as an air mechanic with ‘B’ Flight, 3rd Squadron of the infant Australian Flying Corps (A.F.C) which left for England on 25 October 1916 onboard the SS Ulysses as an “army co-operation” unit given the task of assisting the troops on the ground (“the work lacked the glamour and excitement of the fighter and bomber squadrons”). Finally arriving in France in September 1917, the Squadron was involved in the last phase of the Passchendaele campaign in Flanders assisting in spotting for the artillery only for bad weather to limit their opportunities. While controversy rages as to who actually shot down the legendary famed German flying ace - Captain Baron Manfred von Richthofen on 21 April 1918, it was the 3rd Squadron that salvaged his body and the remains of his machine. The next day, at the Red Baron’s funeral, Smith was the non-commissioned officer in charge of the party that fired the honorary shots over his gallant of the enemy who inflicted so much damage to the Allied forces. Rising to the rank of sergeant, in 1917 Smith was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, a decoration bestowed “for gallant conduct in the performance of military duty otherwise than in action with the enemy, or in saving or attempting to save the life of an officer or soldiers, or for devotion to duty in a theatre of war”, The action involved rescuing an aviator from a blazing machine after three attempts, an incident that Smith himself was severely wounded. Possibly in a later incident he suffered injuries through a blow from a propeller blade, which were to prove fatal after his return to Australia in September 1919. On 18 March the next year, this popular and promising young soldier and aviator, as The Age described him, died at the Caulfield Military Hospital and was accorded a funeral with full military honours officiated by Rev. Father Quinn two days later.

From "How They Served"

SN 684 Sergeant Vincent Smith MSM of Middle Park, Victoria had been employed as a joiner when he enlisted for War Service on the 6th of Feburary 1916. Allocated to reinforcements for 3 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps as an air mechanic, Vincent embarked fo England and further training on the 25th of October 1916.

Whilst serving in England, Vincent saved the life of an airman from his buring plane, and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. Vincent was promoted to Sergeant prior to his departure for France on the 27th of August 1917. Once in France, Vincent's service with 3 Squadron was interupted by several occasions by sickness, but on recovering on each occasion he was returned to his Unit. Sergeant Smith was present for the ceremonial burial of Baron Manfred Von Richthofen (the Red Baron) following his being shot down the day before hand on the 21st of April 1918.

Towards the end of his service in France, Vincent sustained an injury to his head when he was struck by a plane's propella, and was returned to Australia on the 8th of September 1919. Vincent was admitted into the 11th Australian General Hospital (Caulfield) following his return, and on the 18th of March 1920 he succumbed to the injuries he had received in France which were complicated by his contracting meningitis. Sergeant Smith MSM was laid to rest within Brighton General Cemetery, Victoria.