| Sydney Philip Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | 10 May 1896 Aldershot, Hampshire, England |
| Died | 6 April 1918 (aged 21) Villiers Bretonneux |
| Memorial | Arras Flying Services Memorial, Pas de Calais, France |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/branch | Royal Flying Corps |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | No. 6 Squadron RFC, No. 46 Squadron RFC |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Order, French Croix de Guerre |
Captain Sydney Philip Smith was a World War I flying ace credited with five aerial victories.[1]
Smith served with the Wessex Division Training until he was posted to the Royal Flying Corps in early 1916. He qualified as a pilot in June; by December, he was a captain flying a Royal Aircraft Factory BE 2d in 6 Squadron. Despite piloting a grossly obsolescent two-seater reconnaissance plane, Smith scored his first victory on 17 March 1917, destroying a German Albatros D.II fighter. After a transfer to 46 Squadron and a Sopwith Camel, he shared a pair of wins on 16 March 1918, being aided by George Thomson. After another triumph on 24 March, he shared his final victory on 2 April with Donald MacLaren, Roy McConnell, and two other pilots. Four days later, he fell under the guns of Manfred von Richthofen.[2] The Red Baron's combat report read, "...The English plane which I attacked started to burn after only a few shots from my guns. Then it crashed, burning near the little wood northeast of Villers Bretonneux, where it continued burning on the ground."[3]
Above the Trenches: a Complete Record of the Fighter Aces and Units of the British Empire Air Forces 1915–1920. Christopher F. Shores, Norman L. R. Franks, Russell Guest. Grub Street, 1990. ISBN 0-948817-19-4, 9780948817199.