Ivan Vasilyevich Smirnov
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Ivan Vasilyevich Smirnov (in Russian: Иван Васильевич Смирнов) (January 30, 1895 - October 28, 1956) was a famous Russian pilot of the 1st Combat Air Group in the Imperial Russian Army.
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[edit] Early life and World War I accomplishments
He was born to a peasant family on a tiny village near Vladimir. In the outbreak of the World War I Smirnov enrolled as a volunteer. He was enlisted in the 96th Omsk infantry regiment which fought on Russian Northern Front (WWI). Ivan Smirnov was awarded the Cross of St. George of the 4th degree. He was seriously wounded on December 8, 1914 by a gunmachine fire and was sent to Petrograd where he saw taking off planes. Smirnov decided to enter into Aviation Corps. In the beginning of 1915 he was sent to a pilot school in Petrograd, then in Moscow. After a year-and-half course Smirnov was ordered to the 19th Corps Air Fighter Detachment whose commander was, a distinguish pilot, Aleksandr Kazakov. His first plane was Nieuport 10 and scored for the first time on December 20, 1916 and was promoted to Praporshchik. Smirnov got Morane-Saulnier and hit more 5 planes on it. In March 1917 the 1st Combat Air Group was moved to Galicia where Sminov scored 6 victories and was awarded the Crosses of St. George (3rd and 2nd degrees). Finally on October 31, 1917 Sminov got the Order of St. George (4th degree) for his 7th plane. In November Smirnov took his last two planes as a Russian Imperial pilot. He celebrated over 20 victories during the WWI and Smirnov was never hit. On December 14, 1917 he left his unit because of threat of lynching all officers.
[edit] Postwar Activity
He served a little in the White Army of general Denikin and Kolchak and after its defeat he fled to the United Kingdom. Smirnov worked for diverse airline companies mainly of the Netherland during the 1920s and 1930s. Ivan Smirnov was naturalised as a Dutch citizen.
[edit] In the South West Pacific during World War II
During World War II Smirnoff worked as a pilot for KLM in the Dutch East Indies, and flew passengers and materiel between Java and Australia. On 3 March 1942, a Douglas DC-3 Dakota, PK-AFV or Pelikaan, piloted by Smirnoff, left Bandung, Java for Broome, Australia, with a plane load of evacuees and a box of diamonds worth approximately £150,000-300,000 (now an approximate A$20-40 million). (The flight took off three days before the Japanese took the Bandung area.) They were attacked by three Japanese Zeroes about 80 km north of Broome. Captain Smirnoff was wounded several times in his arms and hip. Smirnoff managed to put the Dakota into a steep spiral dive with the Zeros in pursuit and made a forced landing on the beach. Four passengers were killed. The box of diamonds went missing after the crash and relatively few were recovered. Three local man were tried, but not convicted, of their theft.
Smirnov worked for a U.S. airline in Australia until the end of the war.
[edit] Smirnov's orders
- Croix de Guerre
- Crosses of St. George (4th, 3rd, 2nd degrees)
- White Eagle of Siberia
- Order of St. Anna
- Order of St. George (4th degree)
- Order of St. Stanislaus
He died on Mallorca in 1956.
