HughAHalliday
16th May 2021, 14:20
Transcribed during general clean-up.
SAINT-SMITH, James Alexander, F/O, DFM (Aus 403380) - No.627 Squadron - Distinguished Flying Cross - awarded as per London Gazette dated 15 August 1944. Recommendation dated 2 June 1944 in Air 2/9632; he had flown 63 sorties (311 hours ten minutes), 30 sorties (127 hours 25 minutes) since his previous award.
Flying Officer Saint-Smith has now completed several sorties as one of the initial markers for the main bombing force and he has already achieved an outstanding record of successes in this important role. He initiated the marking for the successful attack on the Kjeller aircraft factory near Oslo and, more recently, he has also successfully marked aiming points for targets in the Toulouse, Salbris and Paris areas. He has, in addition, done valuable work at later stages of other attacks in France and Germany where he has invariably exerted himself to the utmost to ensure their complete and final success. Moreover, he has frequently been the first pilot to locate and mark the aiming points allotted to his Squadron. On one occasion two aiming points had been selected in the same target area and this courageous officer actually carried out the initial attack on both of them. All these attacks had to be carried out at a low level and this officer has shown a complete disregard for his own personal safety and the enemy ground defences.
By his conspicuous gallantry, determination and skill, Flying Officer Saint-Smith has been directly responsible for the destruction of many important enemy targets. Furthermore he has in my opinion set a truly magnificent example to all the other pilots in his Squadron. I therefore strongly recommend this officer for the award of the DFC.
The sortie list was as follows:
25 March 1942 - Essen (4.30)
30 May 1942 - Cologne (5.15)
6 June 1942 - Emden (4.45)
18 June 1942 - Ameland, minelaying (5.10)
19 June 1942 - Emden (5.15)
21 June 1942 - St. Nazaire, minelaying (8.30)
25 June 1942 - Bremen (5.45)
26 June 1942 - target not stated, minelaying (4.40)
25 July 1942 - Duisburg (5.40)
31 July 1942 - Dusseldorf (5.40)
10 September 1942 - Dusseldorf (4.15)
6 December 1942 - Mannheim (6.55)
17 December 1942 - Sweden, minelaying (6.30)
20 December 1942 - Duisburg (4.15)
4 January 1943 - Essen (2.30)
9 January 1943 - Essen (4.35)
16 January 1943 - Berlin (7.45)
17 January 1943 - Berlin (7.50)
23 January 1943 - Dusseldorf (5.25)
3 February 1943 - Hamburg (6.25)
7 February 1943 - Lorient (4.50)
11 February 1943 - Wilhelmshaven (5.00)
13 February 1943 - Lorient (6.30)
14 February 1943 - Milan (8.50)
16 February 1943 - Lorient (5.20)
18 February 1943 - Wilhelmshaven (5.25)
21 February 1943 - Bremen (5.05)
26 February 1943 - Cologne (5.40)
28 February 1943 - St. Nazaire (6.20)
1 March 1943 - Berlin (7.05)
6 January 1944 - Duisburg (2.20)
14 January 1944 - Magdeburg (3.55)
23 January 1944 - Dusseldorf (2.30)
27 January 1944 - Berlin (4.40)
28 January 1944 - Berlin (4.20)
30 January 1944 - Berlin (4.15)
1 February 1944 - Berlin (4.50)
4 February 1944 - Frankfurt (3.25)
19 February 1944 - Leipzig (4.35)
21 February 1944 - Stuttgart (4.00)
24 February 1944 - Schweinfurt (4.30)
1 March 1944 - Munich (4.45)
6 March 1944 - Kiel (3.35)
11 March 1944 - Hamburg (3.50)
15 March 1944 - Stuttgart (4.45)
18 March 1944 - Frankfurt (3.35)
22 March 1944 - Frankfurt (3.55)
6 April 1944 - Hamburg (4.00)
8 April 1944 - Essen (2.45)
10 April 1944 - Hanover (3.10)
11 April 1944 - Hanover (3.20)
13 April 1944 - Berlin (5.00)
22 April 1944 - Brunswick (3.55)
24 April 1944 - Munich (4.50)
26 April 1944 - Schweinfurt (4.35)
28 April 1944 - Kjeller, Oslo (4.35)
1 May 1944 - Toulouse airfield (3.50)
3 May 1944 - Mailly (3.35)
6 May 1944 - Louailles (3.25)
7 May 1944 - St. Quentin (3.40)
9 May 1944 - Paris (3.40)
11 May 1944 - Bourg Leopold (2.40)
27 May 1944 - Nantes (3.55)
SAINT-SMITH, James Alexander, F/O, DFM (Aus 403380) - No.627 Squadron - Distinguished Flying Cross - awarded as per London Gazette dated 15 August 1944. Recommendation dated 2 June 1944 in Air 2/9632; he had flown 63 sorties (311 hours ten minutes), 30 sorties (127 hours 25 minutes) since his previous award.
Flying Officer Saint-Smith has now completed several sorties as one of the initial markers for the main bombing force and he has already achieved an outstanding record of successes in this important role. He initiated the marking for the successful attack on the Kjeller aircraft factory near Oslo and, more recently, he has also successfully marked aiming points for targets in the Toulouse, Salbris and Paris areas. He has, in addition, done valuable work at later stages of other attacks in France and Germany where he has invariably exerted himself to the utmost to ensure their complete and final success. Moreover, he has frequently been the first pilot to locate and mark the aiming points allotted to his Squadron. On one occasion two aiming points had been selected in the same target area and this courageous officer actually carried out the initial attack on both of them. All these attacks had to be carried out at a low level and this officer has shown a complete disregard for his own personal safety and the enemy ground defences.
By his conspicuous gallantry, determination and skill, Flying Officer Saint-Smith has been directly responsible for the destruction of many important enemy targets. Furthermore he has in my opinion set a truly magnificent example to all the other pilots in his Squadron. I therefore strongly recommend this officer for the award of the DFC.
The sortie list was as follows:
25 March 1942 - Essen (4.30)
30 May 1942 - Cologne (5.15)
6 June 1942 - Emden (4.45)
18 June 1942 - Ameland, minelaying (5.10)
19 June 1942 - Emden (5.15)
21 June 1942 - St. Nazaire, minelaying (8.30)
25 June 1942 - Bremen (5.45)
26 June 1942 - target not stated, minelaying (4.40)
25 July 1942 - Duisburg (5.40)
31 July 1942 - Dusseldorf (5.40)
10 September 1942 - Dusseldorf (4.15)
6 December 1942 - Mannheim (6.55)
17 December 1942 - Sweden, minelaying (6.30)
20 December 1942 - Duisburg (4.15)
4 January 1943 - Essen (2.30)
9 January 1943 - Essen (4.35)
16 January 1943 - Berlin (7.45)
17 January 1943 - Berlin (7.50)
23 January 1943 - Dusseldorf (5.25)
3 February 1943 - Hamburg (6.25)
7 February 1943 - Lorient (4.50)
11 February 1943 - Wilhelmshaven (5.00)
13 February 1943 - Lorient (6.30)
14 February 1943 - Milan (8.50)
16 February 1943 - Lorient (5.20)
18 February 1943 - Wilhelmshaven (5.25)
21 February 1943 - Bremen (5.05)
26 February 1943 - Cologne (5.40)
28 February 1943 - St. Nazaire (6.20)
1 March 1943 - Berlin (7.05)
6 January 1944 - Duisburg (2.20)
14 January 1944 - Magdeburg (3.55)
23 January 1944 - Dusseldorf (2.30)
27 January 1944 - Berlin (4.40)
28 January 1944 - Berlin (4.20)
30 January 1944 - Berlin (4.15)
1 February 1944 - Berlin (4.50)
4 February 1944 - Frankfurt (3.25)
19 February 1944 - Leipzig (4.35)
21 February 1944 - Stuttgart (4.00)
24 February 1944 - Schweinfurt (4.30)
1 March 1944 - Munich (4.45)
6 March 1944 - Kiel (3.35)
11 March 1944 - Hamburg (3.50)
15 March 1944 - Stuttgart (4.45)
18 March 1944 - Frankfurt (3.35)
22 March 1944 - Frankfurt (3.55)
6 April 1944 - Hamburg (4.00)
8 April 1944 - Essen (2.45)
10 April 1944 - Hanover (3.10)
11 April 1944 - Hanover (3.20)
13 April 1944 - Berlin (5.00)
22 April 1944 - Brunswick (3.55)
24 April 1944 - Munich (4.50)
26 April 1944 - Schweinfurt (4.35)
28 April 1944 - Kjeller, Oslo (4.35)
1 May 1944 - Toulouse airfield (3.50)
3 May 1944 - Mailly (3.35)
6 May 1944 - Louailles (3.25)
7 May 1944 - St. Quentin (3.40)
9 May 1944 - Paris (3.40)
11 May 1944 - Bourg Leopold (2.40)
27 May 1944 - Nantes (3.55)