Australian WWII pilot to be finally buried at Normandy

Feuer Frei! · 04-18-11, 02:30 AM

AN Australian World War II pilot whose Spitfire was discovered more than six decades after he was forced to ditch into a French river will at last be buried with full military honours. Flight Lieutenant Henry "Lacy" Smith, 27, from Sydney, was hit by enemy fire and crash-landed his plane in the River Orne on June 11, 1944, just five days after the D-Day landings.
The aircraft and Flt Lt Smith's remains were recovered in November last year by the operator of a French war museum.
The former loom tuner, who learnt to fly as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme in Australia and Canada, will be buried at the Ranville war graves cemetery in Normandy, northern France, tomorrow.
"According to the story given to us, his fuel tanks were holed by anti-aircraft fire," Mr Dostine told AAP.
"He wasn't on fire or anything. He was losing fuel madly. He was radioing, 'I've been hit, I'm going to put her down'. And he put her down on what we would say he assumed to be a big, green flat. It turned out to be swampy river bed and the aircraft slid along and into the Orne River.
"Two others (pilots) flying with him saw what happened. When he hit the ground and slid along into the river, they flew ... past and saw that the plane's nose had gone down and tipped over and was nose down in the river. There was very little likelihood of him having survived because the cockpit was underwater. And there he stayed for 60 years."

SOURCE

RIP, SIR!

Fish In The Water · 04-18-11, 02:36 AM

Good read, thanks for the post!

Gerald · 04-18-11, 04:48 AM

RIP Sir!

HunterICX · 04-18-11, 05:03 AM

Finally got the rest he deserves, rest in peace sir.

HunterICX

Jimbuna · 04-18-11, 06:50 AM

~SALUTE~

kraznyi_oktjabr · 04-18-11, 07:19 AM

Requiescat in pace ~SALUTE~

04-18-11, 02:30 AM	#1
Feuer Frei! Navy Seal Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Valhalla Posts: 5,295 Downloads: 141 Uploads: 17	Australian WWII pilot to be finally buried at Normandy AN Australian World War II pilot whose Spitfire was discovered more than six decades after he was forced to ditch into a French river will at last be buried with full military honours. Flight Lieutenant Henry "Lacy" Smith, 27, from Sydney, was hit by enemy fire and crash-landed his plane in the River Orne on June 11, 1944, just five days after the D-Day landings. The aircraft and Flt Lt Smith's remains were recovered in November last year by the operator of a French war museum. The former loom tuner, who learnt to fly as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme in Australia and Canada, will be buried at the Ranville war graves cemetery in Normandy, northern France, tomorrow. "According to the story given to us, his fuel tanks were holed by anti-aircraft fire," Mr Dostine told AAP. "He wasn't on fire or anything. He was losing fuel madly. He was radioing, 'I've been hit, I'm going to put her down'. And he put her down on what we would say he assumed to be a big, green flat. It turned out to be swampy river bed and the aircraft slid along and into the Orne River. "Two others (pilots) flying with him saw what happened. When he hit the ground and slid along into the river, they flew ... past and saw that the plane's nose had gone down and tipped over and was nose down in the river. There was very little likelihood of him having survived because the cockpit was underwater. And there he stayed for 60 years." SOURCE RIP, SIR! __________________ "History is the lies that the victors agree on"- Napoleon LINK TO MY SH 3 MODS

04-18-11, 04:48 AM	#3
Gerald SUBSIM Newsman Join Date: May 2008 Location: Close to sea Posts: 24,254 Downloads: 553 Uploads: 0	RIP Sir! __________________ Nothing in life is to be feard,it is only to be understood. Marie Curie

04-18-11, 05:03 AM	#4
HunterICX Rear Admiral Join Date: May 2006 Location: Malaga, España Posts: 10,750 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Finally got the rest he deserves, rest in peace sir. HunterICX __________________

04-18-11, 06:50 AM	#5
Jimbuna Chief of the Boat Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: 250 metres below the surface Posts: 191,468 Downloads: 63 Uploads: 13	~SALUTE~ __________________ Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something. Oh my God, not again!!

04-18-11, 07:19 AM	#6
kraznyi_oktjabr Sea Lord Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Republiken Finland Posts: 1,803 Downloads: 8 Uploads: 0	Requiescat in pace ~SALUTE~ __________________ You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic. - Dr. House

04-18-11, 02:36 AM	#2
Fish In The Water Prince of the Sea SUBSIM Welcome Committee Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Watching over U-253 Posts: 3,527 Downloads: 98 Uploads: 2	Good read, thanks for the post!