Smith, James Alvin
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | James Alvin |
Surname | Smith |
Gender | M |
Age | 27 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 21-07-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Andrew Godfrey Smith and Jean Smith (née Irving) of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | MZ352 |
Markings | NP-K |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | France |
Burial/Memorial Place | St. Hellier Churchyard |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 243 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/22369 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 158 |
Trade | Navigator |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | St. James of Compostola Church, Lissett, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone & Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | Memorial to 158 Sqn, RAF Lissett 28th February 1943 - 17th August 1946 |
Location | St. James of Compostola Church, Lissett, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window & Inscribed Metal Plaques |
Memorial Text | A stained glass window in memory of 158 Sqn RAF |
Miscellaneous Information
James was born at Wingham, Ontario on 7 April 1917. His father was born at Kincardine, Ontario and was a Sales Manager and also the editor and publisher of the Wingham Advance Times. His mother was born in Lucknow, Ontario. He had a brother Andrew Irving and a sister Edythe Euphemia. He attended Allenby Public School, Toronto,1925- 1933 and North Toronto Collegiate Institute 1933-1937. He then went to Northern vocational 1937-1938 studying a special course in Accountancy. His sport interests were baseball, hockey, rugby and lacrosse. He was particularly good at rugby. James was a Salesman at Imrie Brothers, 1938-1940 and then during the summer of 1940 he gave Physical Instruction at the Board of Education. He was then Paymaster and Secretary at Insulation Products Ltd in Toronto from 1940 until enlisting on 3 November 1941. |
After training James was posted to the U.K. where he disembarked at 3PRC. He then went to 10 (0) AFU on 22 June 1943, 20 OTU 3 August 1943, 1652 CU on 27 October 1943 and to 158 Squadron 15 April 1944. James sadly lost his life on 21 July 1944. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1049/14 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1049/13 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 20-07-1944 |
End Date | 21-07-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Lissett |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Ardouval- to attack a flying bomb site. 87 aircraft, 1 lost. Less than half of the force were able to bomb the target |
Reason for Loss | Crashed close to the target, possibly due to extremely poor weather conditions |