Smith, George John
Personal Information
Rank | F/L |
Forename(s) | George John |
Surname | Smith |
Gender | M |
Age | 25 |
Decorations | DFC |
Date of Death | 01-05-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Paul Smith and Annie Margaret Smith, of Verwood, Saskatchewan, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster III |
Serial Number | JA976 |
Markings | LQ-S |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Belgium |
Burial/Memorial Place | Webbekom Churchyard |
Grave Reference | Grave 7. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 243 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/21564 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 8 |
Squadron | 405 (Vancouver) |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Smith Lake, Saskatchewan |
Country | Canada |
Memorial Type | Lake |
Memorial Text |
Location | Adjacent to Village Windmill, Mill Rd, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | Remembering 405 (Vancouver) Sqn. PFF at Gransden Lodge 1942 - 1945 |
Location | St. Bartholomew's Church, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window, RoH and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | Commemorating the 801 airmen of 405 Sqn. RCAF who gave their lives 1941 - 1945 |
Location | Pocklington Gliding Club, Pocklington Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Marble Pillar and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of 102 (Ceylon) and 405 (Vancouver) Sqns. Pocklington Airfield |
Miscellaneous Information
George was born at Verwood, Saskatchewan on 22 June 1918. Both his parents were born in Russia. His father was a farmer. He had one married sister Elsie and five brothers: Herman (Harry), Edward, Gustave, Freddie and Raymond. The schools he attended were Grand Meadow school 1925-1932 and Verwood school 1932-1937. He enjoyed all sports and his hobby was motor mechanics. Between 1937-1939 he was working as a farm labourer for his father and then worked as a Line Man for five months for the Verwood Rural Telephone Company 1939 -1940. He then went back to Paul Smith, working as a trucker in 1940 until enlisting on 8 July 1941. |
George married Audrey Jeanette (Norin) at Willows, Saskatchewan on 7 December 1942. After initial training he departed Canada on 6 January 1943 and on to 3 PRC on 15 January. then went to 22 OTU on 6 April 1943, 432 Sqn 30 June 1943 and then 405 Squadron on 5 March 1944. George was sadly to lose his life on 1 May 1944. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1789/8 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1789/7 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 27-04-1944 |
End Date | 28-04-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Gransden Lodge |
Day/Night Raid | Night (29% moon) |
Operation | Montzen- to attack railway installations. 144 aircraft, 15 losses (10.4%). Not a particularly successful raid, compounded by very high loss rate. Only one part of the railway yards were hit. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter and crashed at Webbekom, Belgium |