Squadron Leader Geoff Smith
On 8th April local resident Squadron Leader Geoff Smith spent time recounting some of his World War II experiences to local children.
At the start of the war Geoff Smith was a policeman; his duties included carrying gas equipment, acting as a fire warden and doing motor patrols. Six months into the war and living in Maidstone, he was getting changed one day when a bank note factory right behind his digs was hit by a bomb, knocking him over with the force of the impact.
He then decided to join the forces as aircrew and was initially based at London Zoo, where he ate well despite rationing. He was selected to become a pilot and went on to train in Aberystwyth and then Coventry. In Coventry there was heavy bombing by the Germans so the pilot training was transferred to America.
The volunteer airmen sailed from Glasgow to Canada on the 'Letita' and then travelled by train (the Chattanooga Choo Choo!) to Georgia. Whilst on the train they again ate marvellous food. One puzzling moment was when the train was stopped at a sidings and Geoff saw lots of the men being taken off the train - it transpired that they had mumps and were being isolated!
During their training in America the crew would go to breakfast to the sound of a 100-piece orchestra playing 'Off You Go Into The Wide Blue Yonder'. The English pilots were popular and invitations were extended by local residents to entertainment in their houses. One memorable weekend for Geoff was when he and three colleagues spent the weekend with wealthy German-American cotton brokers, who were also lavishly entertaining the Philadelphia Philharmonic!
When the crews' training came to an end the English cadets organised a dance - it was so popular the local girls had to draw lots to get tickets!!!
Geoff's time in America was his most enjoyable period of the war. He made a point of saying that although war was terrible, it wasn't all gloom and doom. He met a great many people who remained life-long friends to him and his family.
Geoff was sent back to England and sailed on the 'Queen Mary' from New York. It was so cold when they left there were 20ft long icicles hanging from the harbour side. They had to take the long southern route back to England because they had no destroyer escort, and when they eventually reached Glasgow the ship sailed up the Clyde at such speed to avoid becoming a submarine target that local boats were washed up the bank!
Geoff went on to fly Lancasters and Wellingtons. His Lancaster was named 'Vicky' after the sister of one of his flight crew. She was a chorus girl at the Windmill Theatre in London. Geoff was given the crew from a pilot who had been shot down and his gunner volunteered to join Geoff's crew after witnessing Geoff steer his plane between 2 hangers when the engines failed. He said it wasn't because of Geoff's flying skill, but because he was lucky!!!
Geoff's first operation was in 1943 and in total he completed 35 operations, each lasting anything up to 9 hours. On average they lost 3 out of 20 planes in every flight. He said that "Any pilot or crew who survived - it wasn't skill, just pure luck."
His plane was hit once by shrapnel, fortunately not injuring anyone, although the shrapnel did go straight through the navigator's table and split his ruler in half. Despite being hit they managed to finish their mission to lay mines in a German canal, before returning to base.
Geoff then went on to be a pilot instructor. It was whilst training pilots that he had more 'near misses' than on active duty. In one instance the undercarriage jammed after an aborted landing and the plane subsequently landed on a farmhouse, knocking the entire top floor out. Luckily the couple who lived in the farmhouse had been celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary and were staying at their son's house - it was the first time ever they had stayed the night away from home!!
For his war efforts Geoff was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, which is now displayed in a museum in Canada.
Report by Emma Langley
© Priory Road Residents 2005