Donald V. Smith                                                                  Updated: 06 JUN 2021                                      From Don´s album

Airman: v999010.htm Surname: Smith Init: D V Rank: Sgt Service: RCAF Sqdn: 7

P_link: p157.htm Plane: STI R9261 Operation: Bomb G Crash_site: Kongsmark

Crash_d: d210443 Buried_d: v999 C_link: v999.htm At_Next: EVD

 "Natten mellem den 20. og 21. april 1943 angreb 339 RAF bombefly Stettin. Vejret var klart, og markeringen fra Pathfinders
var perfekt. Ca. 40 ha af den centrale bydel blev ramt, og 13 fabrikker og 380 huse blev totalt ødelagt. 580 personer blev dræbt ved
angrebet. Samtidig angreb 86 Stirlings Rostock. - Samtlige fly fløj ind over Danmark ved Esbjerg.- 13 Lancasters, 8 Halifax og
9 Stirlings gik tabt." (FT 88-32) Af dem gik 19 fly tabt over dansk område. Se Stettin + Rostock 20 - 21 April 1943
og Google Map p149-167.

På hjemturen fra Stettin her blev  STI R9261 angrebet af en Me110 og brød i brand. Se Korsør Avis om flystyrt.
Kun Sgt (Flight Engineer) Donald V. Smith klarede at springe ud med faldskærm. Efter landingen gik han tværs over Sjælland og
nåede frem til Øresund, hvor han fik hjælp til at flygte til Sverige som den første allierede flyver under krigen!
Se Google Map Don's rute. Sammenlign hans historie med Webster, der næsten klarede det og Wasik, der kom til Sverige via Frederikshavn.
Donald V. Smiths søn Dave Smith skrev beretningen "Endelig sammen" i Dansk Militærhistorie om sin fader, nu her på Svinø
med resten af besætningen på STI R9261.
Dave Smith har opdateret og udvidet historien, se Links for  Første flyver til Sverige  A letter and 3 telegrams.
Se også Ny mindesten 1993 - og flugthistorien * Om Charles Parish * Besøg ved mindestenen 1999 * Besøg 2010 af Helge Christiansen og links i engelsk version.

TV2 ØST sendte Together at Last - 4. maj 1945  (film 25:00) af Peter Kryger, først i 2009, igen 4. maj 2021 (denne udgave). Se også J. Nielsen: Majoren og mig.

De 7 andre besætningsmedlemmer blev dræbt ved styrtet, og de blev alle begravet på Svinø Kirkegård. (Kilde: FT 88-33-10)

Besætningen på STI R9261 er mindet på dette monument rejst her nær nedstyrtningsstedet. 8 flyvere.

 "339 RAF bombers attacked Stettin on the night before 21 April 1943. The sky was clear, and the marking from Pathfinders was perfect. About 100
acres of the central part of the city were hit, and 13 factories and 380 houses were totally destroyed. 580 persons were killed in the attack. At the same time
Rostock was attacked by 86 Stirlings. - All planes entered Danish airspace at Esbjerg. - 13 Lancasters, 8 Halifaxes and 9 Stirlings were lost." (FT 88-32)
19 of them were lost over Danish territory.  See Stettin + Rostock 20 - 21 April 1943 and Google Map p149-167.

STI R9261 was attacked by a Me110 on the return flight from Stettin here and caught fire. See Korsør Avis about air crashes.
Only Sgt (Flight Engineer) Donald V. Smith managed to bail out. 
After the landing he walked across Zealand and reached Øresund, where he was helped to evade to Sweden as the first allied airman during the war!
See Google Map Don's route. Compare his story with Webster, who nearly made it and Wasik, who came to Sweden via Frederikshavn.
His son Dave Smith wrote the account  "Together at last"  in Danish Military History about his father, now here at Svinø with rest of the crew of STI R9261
Dave Smith has updated and extended the story, see Links for  First Airman to Sweden  A letter and 3 telegrams. See also Don´s Diary.
Helge Christiansen wrote New Memorial Stone 1993 - Escape from Denmark * About Charles Parish * A Visit to the Memorial Stone in 1999 * A Visit in 2010.
TV2 EAST sent Together at Last - 4. maj 1945  (film 25:00) by Peter Kryger, first time in 2009, again 4 May 2021 (this edition).
The 7 other members of the crew were killed in the crash, and they were all buried at Svinø.

The crew of  STI R9261 is commemorated on this monument erected here near the crash site. See also the memorial stone in 2010.
See No. 7 Squadron RAF * 7 Squadron Association.
Stirling I R9261 MG-M took off from RAF Oakington at 21.00 hrs on 20 APR 1943 targeting Rostock. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) 8 airmen.