Spitfire ace & plane wreck found

[DREDIOCK]

Dont know if this has been posted before

Riddle of missing Spitfire ace shot down after D-Day is solved
For 66 years, the brave young Spitfire pilot’s final resting place had been a mystery.
Flight Lieutenant Henry Lacy Smith was shot down by the Germans five days after D-Day on a mission supporting the Allied invasion in Normandy.

His last radio message to comrades was: ‘I’m going to put this thing down in a field.



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1327575/Missing-Spitfire-ace-shot-D-Day-Normandy-estuary.html?ITO=1490

[skribetm]

RIP Flt.Lt. Smith 

[Guppy35]

That was a while back.  Had me thinking there was another Spit found!

Interesting they quoted the letter from his CO of 453 Don Smith.  He flew Spit XIIs with 41 Squadron for a long time and took over 453 RAAF in May of 44 not too long prior to the invasion.

It is amazing how the wrecks continue to reappear.  I'm glad that the pilot will finally return home.

[Maverick]

RIP Lt. Smith.   

[SWkiljoy]

thanks for the post, great info.   

[007Rusty]

 

[IrishOne]

      cool post

[fbWldcat]

Just wondering, what makes the spitfire different from the F4U that can't be raised because it is technically a war grave? Did he go down with the plane?

 

[DEECONX]

 

[Tyrannis]

Just wondering, what makes the spitfire different from the F4U that can't be raised because it is technically a war grave? Did he go down with the plane?

 

it might be because he's Australian, not British. and the wreck was in france, not britain. different policies (i hope your talking about the f4u's crashed in the british lake, cus thats what im thinking of lol)

[fbWldcat]

yeah, that is 

[Pigslilspaz]

 

[expat]

perhaps they had permission from his relatives .....

[bozon]

No wonder this spit went down. It is even a wonder that it got into the air with the engine looking like that.

[Charge]

http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=5247700&I=1&SE=1

-C+