Auction Catalogue

22 September 2000

Starting at 12:00 PM

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Orders, Decorations and Medals

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 775

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22 September 2000

Hammer Price:
£1,200

A Hurricane Pilot’s Immediate D.F.C. group of four awarded to Flight Lieutenant Victor Smith, Nos. 3 and 198 Squadrons, Royal Air Force, killed whilst flying a Typhoon over Holland in 1943

Distinguished Flying Cross, G.VI.R., the reverse officially dated 1943, in its Royal Mint case of issue; 1939-45 Star; Air Crew Europe Star; War Medal, these in their named card box of issue addressed to his widow together with Air Council condolence letter, extremely fine (4) £1200-1400

D.F.C. London Gazette 23 March 1943: ‘This officer has completed 29 sorties over enemy territory at night, often in adverse weather. During these operations he has attacked an anti-aircraft gun post, a railway station and buildings and a convoy of motor vehicles, raking them with machine gun fire. He has displayed great courage, skill and keenness.’

Flight Lieutenant Victor Smith was born in 1915 at Dewsbury, Yorkshire, and was educated at Hitchin Grammar School. He enlisted in 1940 and joined No. 3 Squadron (Hurricanes) as a Sergeant Pilot in 1941, flying night patrols over London and long range night intruder missions over northwest Europe in the summer of 1942. In early June 1942 he overshot at Manston owing to a sudden change in the wind and badly damaged his aircraft, but on the 28th of the following month ‘Damaged a Ju.88 off Haamstede’; on the 29th was ‘Shot at by an armed trawler’; and on the 31st was ‘Attacked by night fighter near Gilze and ship off Haamstede’. On the night of 9/10 August he tangled briefly with a twin-engined night fighter but jettisoned his tanks to hasten a safe getaway.

Commissioned Pilot Officer in the General Duties branch, R.A.F.V.R., at the end of August 1942, he coverted with 3 Squadron to Typhoons in early 1943, and was awarded his D.F.C. in March. Operational again from May 1943, he was promoted Flying Officer and over the next three months participated in numerous ‘Rhubarbs’, attacking a variety of targets including rail transport, barges, trawlers, and on one occasion E/R-boats. At the end of August 1943 he was posted Flight Commander with 198 Squardon which at this period was frequently tasked alongside the ‘Bombphoons’ of 3 Squadron for strikes along the Dutch coast.

On the night of 1 November 1943 the Operations Record Book of 198 details the hour ‘0800 - ?’ for the following “operation”: ‘In the evening, F/Lt. V. Smith, D.F.C., attended a large party held by 3 Squadron at the West Cliff, Ramsgate. He assumed the dual role of ex pilot of 3 Squadron and 198 Squadron representative and is understood to have bent the elbow and shaken a nifty leg in accordance with the proud traditions of the above mentioned bodies.’ On the last day of the same month a long range sweep was arranged in support of B-17’s making a deep penetration raid in to Germany, the Typhoons of 198 hoping to catch enemy fighters either landing or taking off at the Luftwaffe base of Deelen. Crossing into Holland two aircraft were forced home with engine trouble, leaving Smith and the remaining six Typhoons to sweep in at 200 feet. ‘Suddenly when just a mile from the base a lone Ju.88 appeared right ahead of them at their own height. After a brilliant piece of shooting by Flight Lieutenant Smith, one of the German’s engines caught fire and the Junkers side-slipped into a field. As Smithy and his section swooped over the burning wreckage they could see ‘a philosophic audience of Hollanders’ watching the Junkers burn itself out.’

On 13 December Smith is recorded organising a full scale Squadron celebration at the West Cliff Theatre, complete with ‘Mess Band’, ‘certain selected W.A.A.F.’ and a ‘miraculously large supply of spirits’. A week later he was killed in action during a long range fighter sweep - Ramrod 374 - in support of a B-17 withdrawal from Germany: ‘F/Lt. V. Smith’s aircraft was seen to omit a small amount of blue smoke and drop back. As this was taken to be purely temporary engine trouble no one paid particular attention until a 609 pilot happened to look back and see F/Lt. Smith’s machine crashing vertically into the River Waal near Leekuwen.’

Sold with a quantity of copied research.