The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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206281 Flt Sgt. (Nav) Sidney Smith Royal Air Force 514 Squadron (d.5th Mar 1945) Sidney Smith was my uncle. Although he died almost ten years before I was born and my mother spoke very little about him. Therefore, I only have a few family tales to relate but one poignantly is that he wrote home from training in Canada to say that flying was so wonderful, it was worth dying for. Family history is that he lied about his age so that he could enlist into the RAF. Tragically he and his crew-mates were killed towards the end of the War. I have been told that they flew a Wellington although I am not confident that is correct. They were shot down over Belgium and the crew were buried there together. Much more than that I do not know. He had spent his childhood in an orphanage and was, I understand, a strong character. He had not long turned 21 when he died. We do have a lovely photograph of him walking arm-in-arm with two pretty girls, he is in RAF uniform. R Libson Add to this record.  Additional Information: Flight Sergeant Sidney Smith's Lancaster of 514 Sqdn, Bomber Command, NN774JI-F2, crashed in my village Bunsbeek near to Tienen in Belgium on 5-3-1945 returning from a mision; GH attack on the Consoliation benzol plant at Gelsenkirchen GE. The plane toke off from Waterbeach in England at 1035 hours, the crew died in the crash en are buried in Heverlee (Leuven): F/O H G S Kerr pilot Sgt. W Marsden Sgt. F Clarke F/Sgt. Allan Olsen Sgt. C G Hogg Sgt H Percival. Bruyninckx André Reply I am the nephew of Sidney Smith, and inherited his worldly belongings through my mother. Sidney, who I never knew, nevertheless had a strong place in my life, as he was very close to my mother, his elder sister, and she spoke often of him. They were brought up together in an orphanage, and my mother was his replacement mother. Sidney trained in Canada, and I believe joined 514 squadron at its formation. He was the navigator on Lancasters, and I have seen from his letters how he considered himself lucky to be flying. I have been several times to pay homage at his grave, most recently this year (2015) to commemorate 70 years since his death. The cemetery is a place of rest and quiet, and wonderfully maintained. Sidney's name is indeed still living in my family, and his memories are being passed down to my children and grandchildren. Jeffrey Temple Reply Related Content: No. 514 Squadron Royal Air Force Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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