Roderick Smith (RCAF officer)
Roderick Illingworth Alpine Smith, DFC & Bar (11 March 1922 – 16 April 2002) was a flying ace who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) during the Second World War.
At the end of the year, by which time he had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, he was repatriated to the United Kingdom for medical reasons.
Educated at Lakeview School and Central Collegiate, Smith joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in September 1940.
Equipped with Supermarine Spitfire fighters and based at Digby, the squadron was training up to become operational, which it achieved in early September.
[1][4] In June, Smith, by this time holding the rank of flying officer, was posted to the Mediterranean, sailing aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle which was to deliver a number of Spitfires to reinforce the RAF squadrons serving on Malta.
[1][5] A few days later, Smith achieved his first aerial victory, sharing with Jerrold in the probable destruction of a Junkers Ju 88 medium bomber that was intercepted to the north of Malta.
[1][7] Smith shot down a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 medium bomber of the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force) that was attacking a shipping convoy making for Malta on 13 August.
[1][8] His brother failed to return from a sortie a few days previously and Smith was involved in the aerial search for Jerrold, but he was never found.
[3][9] Out of action for a period of time during September due to illness, Smith destroyed a Ju 88 over Malta's Grand Harbour on 11 October and this was followed two days later with the destruction of a Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter intercepted over Sliema Bay.
[1] His new unit was flying Spitfire fighter-bombers but during the invasion of Normandy, it flew aerial cover over the landing beaches and then subsequently operated in support of the Allied ground forces as they advanced inland.
[4] On 7 July, while the squadron carried out a reconnaissance near Falaise, Smith destroyed a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter, its pilot baling out before the aircraft crashed near Argentan.
[1] At the time based at Le Culot Airfield as part of the Second Tactical Air Force, the squadron flew in a ground attack role.
[13] On 29 September, Smith, in one of his first sorties as the commander of his unit, destroyed two Bf 109s in a large scale dogfight involving 30 or more fighters of the Luftwaffe to the east of Nijmegen.
This was accomplished during the enemy's persistent efforts to destroy bridges in the Arnhem and Nijmegen area which were vital to our ground forces.By the time of the award of the Bar, Smith had been taken off operations and in December he returned to Canada.
Moving to Vancouver, he became a barrister and solicitor the following year and commenced practicing law, rising to become a partner at Campney Owen & Murphy by the time of his retirement in 1987.
[2] Smith retained an interest in military affairs, attending reunions and engaging with his former adversaries in the Luftwaffe.
