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Cenotaph record

Maurice Victor Smith

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Pilot Officer Maurice Victor Smith - of Carterton, NZ.

Pilot Officer Maurice Victor Smith - of Carterton, NZ.

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Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Maurice Victor AWMM
  • Surname
    Smith AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    • WWII NZ422327 AWMM
    • WWII 422327 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    21 April 1920 AWMM Cambridge, Waikato AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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  • Medals and Awards

Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 4 April 1942 AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Killed on Active Service, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Maurice Smith was the son of Alfred Victor Smith, and of Ellen Jane Smith (nee Kennedy), of Carterton, New Zealand. AWMM
    • Pilot Officer Maurice Smith was killed on active service - 31 March 1943 - when the RAF Fleet Air Arm aircraft (782 Squadron DH86B AX844) he was a passenger in crashed on take off at RAF Base Donibristle, Scotland. He and 6 others - 2 crew and 4 passengers - were killed. One passenger - New Zealander Pilot Officer D.W Newman - survived with serious injuries.

      The details of the crash from British www.aircrewremembered.com below.

      31 March 1943 - RAF (Fleet Air Arm) DH86B AX844.
      Operation : Ministry of Information Tour (of new personnel) to visit surrounding air bases.
      RAF Base : Donibristle, Fifeshire (HMS Merlin).
      Crash Site : At RAF Base - Donibristle, Fifeshire, Scotland.

      Personnel aboard:
      (Crew) : 1 Pilot and 1 Observer
      6 passengers - 3 New Zealanders (RNZAF) and 3 Australians (RAAF) who had just completed their air training in Canada - and were in Donibristle awaiting their air operations postings.

      The 3 New Zealanders aboard were (1) Pilot Officer M.V. Smith - of Carterton, Wairarapa (2) Flying Officer (Navigator) Owen M. Shroff - of Lower Hutt, Wellington District and (3) Flying D.W. Newman - from (unknown district).

      During a Ministry of Information Tour - taking 3 RAAF (Australia) and 3 RNZAF (New Zealand) air crew around various bases whilst they waited for their postings. All 6 air crew had just arrived from Canada having completed their air training there.

      The aircraft DH86B AX844 (see image in image gallery this profile) took off at 15:21 hours (3.21pm) in what was described as gusty weather conditions - but shortly after take off the aircraft lost speed and spun into the ground - killing 7 crew and passengers - but one passenger - New Zealander Pilot Officer D.W. Newman survived with serious injuries.

      All killed in the crash - with the exception of the British (RAF FAA) Pilot - are buried at Dunfermline (Douglas Bank) Cemetery, Fife, Scotland. Public - Jenifer - Researcher - 26 September 2021 - Ref : www.aircrewremembered.com (England)
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    31 March 1943 AWMM
    Age 22 AWMM
    United Kingdom, Europe AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed on Active Service AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Dunfermline (Douglas Bank) Cemetery, Fifeshire, Scotland AWMM Section A, Grave 259 AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

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Sources

Sources

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Contributors

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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
26 September 2021JeniferWairarapaResearcher

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