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24-01-2008, 08:29 AM
| #1 (permalink) |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NSW, Australia
Posts: 454
You're Top Poster: #9   | FLTLT Francis Owen Smith Hi Lads, I thought I'd throw this one out there as I am researching two airmen at the moment. One of the chaps I received my first name from. He is FLTLT Francis Owen Smith. (My middle name is after my Dad.) He was K.I.A operating out of Tadji on 13MAR45 with 100 Squadron. He was engaged to my mother at the time and they were due to be married in April. I have tracked down his service records, the operations report and the inquiry into the loss of his Bristol Beaufort. I have personal photos, etc as well. Knowing the knowledge out there, (I'm thinking "anoraks" and it's still cracking me up  ), has anyone got any other places I should look?Cheers Owen |
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24-01-2008, 08:40 AM
| #2 (permalink) |
| Senior Member  Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Outer reaches, Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 3,667
You're Top Poster: #2 | Post on rafcommands, Owen (rafcommands.com, I think). Kyt's a regular on there so that might be a faster way to do it. I'm afraid I'm in the middle of something that needs to be done tonight otherwise I'd be googling etc. Inquiry into his loss?
__________________ http://www.454-459squadrons.org.au/. http://www.awm.gov.au/index.asp  Aircraft from No. 60 Squadron levelling out for the "run in" to make a mast-head attack on a Japanese coaster off Akyab. Courtesy AWM. |
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24-01-2008, 08:48 AM
| #3 (permalink) |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NSW, Australia
Posts: 454
You're Top Poster: #9 | Hi Andy, Yes, it seems that the bomb fuses were faulty and there was a premature detonation just after bomb release. It was witnessed by an aircraft behind and happened again to another Beaufort shortly afterwards. So close to the end too. Cheers Owen |
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24-01-2008, 09:20 AM
| #4 (permalink) |
| Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Outer reaches, Melbourne, Victoria
Posts: 3,667
You're Top Poster: #2 | Ridiculous. Flying to the best of their abilities, doing their job well and that happens. Never ceases to amaze me.
__________________ http://www.454-459squadrons.org.au/. http://www.awm.gov.au/index.asp Aircraft from No. 60 Squadron levelling out for the "run in" to make a mast-head attack on a Japanese coaster off Akyab. Courtesy AWM. |
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24-01-2008, 10:55 AM
| #5 (permalink) |
| Άρης  Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Terra something or other
Posts: 5,241
You're Top Poster: #1  | A tragic loss indeed. I've just started reading the inquiry report on A9-650 and A9-625, and about the obsolete firing pistols. Owen, I can't think where else you could go except, as Andy suggested, asking on RafCommands Forums - Powered by vBulletin for anyone else involved in research into 100 (RAAF) Squadron. I know you are a member of TOCH, but rafcommands also has a tremendous membership who are always willing to help. The Beaufort File gives no more details other than the one line for the individual aircraft serial.
__________________ _________________  Beaufighter TF Mark Xs (NV427 'EO-L' nearest) of No. 404 Squadron RCAF based at Dallachy, Morayshire, breaking formation during a flight along the Scottish coast. February 1945. |
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24-01-2008, 11:03 AM
| #6 (permalink) |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NSW, Australia
Posts: 454
You're Top Poster: #9 | Thanks Kyt, Yes, they were so close to coming home. A sad loss indeed, but I can assure you that he was never forgotten within our household. Also, for Spidge, I think there may be a photo of Frank's headstone at Lae in my files if you'd like a scan. Owen Last edited by Nostalgair; 24-01-2008 at 11:06 AM. |
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24-01-2008, 12:11 PM
| #7 (permalink) | |
| Super Moderator   Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 3,246
You're Top Poster: #3 | Quote:
__________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm | |
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25-01-2008, 08:59 AM
| #9 (permalink) |
| Super Moderator Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Melbourne Australia
Posts: 3,246
You're Top Poster: #3 | Thanks Owen!
__________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm |
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29-01-2008, 10:33 PM
| #10 (permalink) |
| Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: NSW, Australia
Posts: 454
You're Top Poster: #9 | Hi All, I thought it might be appropriate to post this image as well. The crew of 100 SQN RAAF Beaufort A9-557. L to R; Flying Officer John Shipman, Flight Lieutenant Harry John "Jack" Fowler (Pilot), Flight Lieutenant 'Frank' Owen Smith and Flying Officer Geoff Waite. This crew was lost on operations 13th March 1945. Web Smith.jpg Cheers, Owen |
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