Irving Stanley Smith
Born 21 May 1917 - Died 1999
- Service number
- NZ43048 AWMM
- Also known as
- Black Smith AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Post WW2 Royal Air Force AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
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- Forenames
- Irving Stanley AWMM
- Surname
- Smith AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
- Black Smith AWMM
- Service number
- NZ43048 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 21 May 1917 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
- Farmer/Civilian AWMM
- Next of kin
- Mr & Mrs A.E. Smith AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 27 Jul 1939 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1940 AWMM Battle of Britain AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- NZ43048 AWMM
- Military service
- Royal Air Force, No. 151 Squadron AWMM
- HQ Fighter Command AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 488 (NZ) Squadron AWMM
- HQ 2 Group AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 487 (NZ) Squadron AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 13 Operational Training Unit AWMM
- Air Headquarters, Malta AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 56 Squadron AWMM
- Tangmere AWMM
(Wing Commander -June? 1950) AWMM - Royal Air Force, Wattisham AWMM
- HQ Fighter Command (Staff Duties - June 1953) AWMM
- Armed Forces Staff College, Norfolk, Virginia (exchange programme with USAF - January 1956) AWMM
- United States Air Force, HQ Tactical Air Command, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia AWMM
- Royal Air Force, Jever Air Base AWMM
- HQ, Signals Command - September 1961 AWMM
- National Defence College, Kingston, Ontario - July 1964 AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- Royal Air Force, Church Fenton AWMM
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- Flying Training - Mangere NZ, May 1939 AWMM
- Jesus College, Oxford -11 September 1939 AWMM
- No. 10 EFTS, Yatesbury (initial training on Tiger Moths) AWMM
- 2FTS, Brize Norton -24 March 1940 - 11 July 1940 (intermediate and advanced training) AWMM
- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW2 Jan 1939 AWMM
Age 22 AWMM
Apprentice Coach Painter/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Vessel was Rangitiki AWMM Royal New Zealand Air Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
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Last known rank
- Last rank
- Post WW2 2 Feb 1966 AWMM
Invalided and retired AWMM Royal Air Force AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Educated at Whau Valley Primary School, Whangarei High School and Seddon Memorial Technical College.
Was a member of Ponsonby Boys' Brass College for several years, playing cornet and tenor horn.
Acting Squadron leader 19 February 1942
Acting Wing Commander May 1942
Married Miss Joan Debenham, a WAAF officer in London in November 1942.
At the time he was invalided out of the RAF in February 1966, he had flown 4000 hours and during wartime had completed three operational tours. He had taken part in 222 patrols and sorties in which he had taken offensive action or had it taken against him.
Portrait in Wynn, K. (1981). The Battle of Britain: 10 July - 31 October 1940 AWMM
About death
- Death
- 1999 AWMM
Age 82 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
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- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Sources
- External links
- Battle of Britain, a website
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/bobhome.html
Further Reference - Battle of Britain Historical Society, a website.
http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/
Further Reference - Battle of Britain Monument url
http://www.bbm.org.uk/SmithIS.htm
Further Reference - See a list of New Zealanders awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp here (PDF). Compiled with the assistance of Errol Martyn and linked from the NZHistory page produced by Manatū Taonga, Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/nz-battle-of-britain-list.pdf
Further Reference - Battle of Britain: Allied Pilots, Aircrew Remembered
https://aircrewremembered.com/BattleOfBritainDatabase/battlebritain-alpha-list.html
Further Reference - Wikipedia contributors. (2025, November 15). List of World War II aces from New Zealand. In Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_aces_from_New_Zealand
Further Reference
- Battle of Britain, a website
- References
- Thompson, H. (1956). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vols. 1-3). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author.
Wynn, K. (1981). p. 353-359 - Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2012). New Zealanders serving with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, 10 July – 31 October 1940. [A list compiled by Ministry for Culture and Heritage with Errol Martyn].
- Wikipedia has died 16 Februart 2000 but your profile has just "Died 1999"Public - John - Researcher - 9 June 2024 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Smith_(RAF_officer)
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