Smith, William Brian Died

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Personal Information

Rank F/L
Forename(s) William Brian
Surname Smith
Gender M
Age 21
Date of Death 27-09-1943
Next of Kin Son of Mabin and Sarah Elizabeth Smith, of Heddon Bush, Southland, New Zealand.
SMITH WB 177

Aircraft Information

Aircraft Handley Page Halifax II
Serial Number LW230
Markings EY-G

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country Germany
Burial/Memorial Place Hanover War Cemetery
Grave Reference Coll. grave 3. E. 10-13.

IBCC Memorial Information

Map
Directions to panel 244
SMITH WB 177

Location

Row -
Panel 244
Column -
Line -

Directions From the Chadwick Centre, take the central path towards The Spire.

Phase 2
Panel Number 244

Enlistment Information

Service Number 416177
Service Royal New Zealand Air Force
Group 4
Squadron 78
Squadron Motto Nemo non paratus (Nobody unprepared)
Trade Pilot
Country of Origin New Zealand

Other Memorials

Location Adjacent to Clubhouse, Breighton Airfield, East Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Marble Tablet
Memorial Text Dedicated to all who served at this airfield and gave their lives during World War II
Location External, All Saints Church, Bubwith, East Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Stone Memorial, inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text 78 Sqn 4 Group Bomber Command Yorkshire 1939 - 1945 To All Who Served
Location Internal, All Saints Church, Bubwith, East Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Wooden Board, Memorial Chapel featuring Cross made from Halifax wreckage
Memorial Text The 78 Sqn Memorial in the Churchyard was dedicated by the Bishop of Selby on 7th September 1986. RAF Breighton, two miles from this church was the Sqn's home from June 1943 to May 1945
Location Outside "B" Hangar, RAF Benson, Oxfordshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Memorial Stone & Inscribed Slate Plaque
Memorial Text In proud memory of all who have lost their lives serving with 78 Sqn Royal Air Force "Nemo Non Paratus - Nobody Unprepared"
Location Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Memorial Gardens, Propeller, Inscribed Marble Tablets
Memorial Text In everlasting homage to the courage of those who have found their winged victory through the skies of Yorkshire
Location Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Propeller Unit & Inscribed Marble Tablets
Memorial Text They made the supreme sacrifice so that you & I may go in peace with freedom. 4 Group 1939 - 1945.
Location Heslington Hall, York, North Yorkshire
Country United Kingdom
Memorial Type Inscribed Metal Plaque
Memorial Text Heslington Hall 1941 - 1945, 4 Gp Headquarters Bomber Command. In remembrance of those Air & Ground personnel who made the supreme sacrifice that we all may walk in peace with freedom

The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/660/78
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/660/78

Fellow Servicemen

Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.

Name Outcome
Cocking A B (P/O) Died
Hickling G E (P/O) Died
Norman J (Sgt) Died
Paul G G (F/L) Died
Smith R A (Sgt) Died
Wilkins J S (F/S) Died

Last Operation Information

Start Date 27-09-1943
End Date 28-09-1943
Takeoff Station Breighton
Day/Night Raid Night (2% moon)
Operation Hanover. 678 aircraft, including five B-17s. 39 aircraft Lost, including one B-17 (5.6%). Bombing was very concentrated, but not accurately on target due to incorrect PFF marking. Little significant damage inflicted.
Reason for Aircraft Loss Shot down on the return leg by a Bf 110 night-fighter flown by Hptm. August Geiger of 7./NJG.
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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.