Commitment, courage and achievement

Born: Katanning, April 2, 1924

Died: Margaret River, June 3, 2022, aged 98

JOHN (Jack) Edward Smart was born on April 2, 1924, and was raised in Katanning - an important Merino stud breeding, wool and grain growing centre.

He received his Junior Certificate (year 10) from Katanning High School at age 15 and in early 1940 joined Elder Smith & Co. Ltd, a well-established Australian stock firm in Katanning.

Jack was living with his parents Stephen and Sarah Smart and three siblings.

He enlisted for war service in Perth on May 24, 1942, seven weeks after he turned 18.

Jack competed his medical the same day and, after undertaking various aptitude tests, was accepted into the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) for pilot training with the rank of leading aircraftman.

Jack took leave of absence from Elders and commenced his training at Cunderdin on October 23, 1942, flying DH 82 Gipsy Moth aircraft.

He then transferred to Geraldton and then to Cootamundra, New South Wales, for more advanced training on Avro Anson aircraft - before gaining his wings on June 23, 1943 and allocated RAAF number 427158.

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Jack had a total of 220 hours of training logged when he arrived in the UK on September 10, 1943 and was posted to 12th Squadron Wickenby, a Lancaster base and one of 29 airfields established in Lincolnshire.

He received a further 225 hours experience with the RAAF and was well trained on Lancaster's until September 1944, when he was promoted to flight sergeant and given his crew to fly solo.

Jack has his complete logbook showing his first flight over Europe - Calais, flying 2nd Dicky with flight lieutenant AJ Thompson.

He signed on for 30 missions (ops) and, with his same crew, was fortunate to return every night and complete his 30 ops on February 23, 1945.

He and his full crew then agreed to sign on for a further 30, completing another five ops, before the war ended in May 1945.

His logbook shows a total of 726 hours flown, including training and ops.

Jack's logbook records that on March 16, 1945 he was asked by Bomber Command to allow his rear gunner - sergeant Neil McNicol - to fly with flight lieutenant Keith William Daymond, a Canadian who was on his 27th op, to fill in for his rear gunner on one mission to Nuremberg.

Their Lancaster (PD 275) was shot down and crashed at Kammerstein with only one survivor who was taken prisoner.

Jack and his remaining crew were devastated that Neil McNicol had been killed, as they were a tight-knit group and had been together for all their 30 ops.

Jack's commitment, courage, discipline, flying skill, his training and perhaps just pure luck got him through World War II without a major incident.

For a young man who was just 21 at the end of the war, it's remarkable considering that less than 70 per cent of aircraft returned each night and that 12th Squadron suffered the second highest percentage losses in Bomber Command.

Some of the statistics are:

Jack recalled two missions that could have ended in disaster for him and his crew.

October 25, 1944, Jack was bombing Essen.

An incendiary bomb was dropped from above and lodged in the fabric of the wing of Jack's Lancaster and - with luck - didn't explode.

Their bomb load was dropped, and they returned to Wickenby, where Jack said he did his best landing, taxied off to the end of the runway and quietly left with his crew - leaving engineers to extract the bomb.

Jack was lining-up to drop his bombs on Nuremburg on January 2, 1945 and his forward gunner urgently called out dive skipper, dive, dive, dive - which he did.

His reaction was immediate, and he barely missed another Lancaster coming straight at him.

Unfortunately, his aircraft lost its gyro compass due to the sudden drop in height and the weight of the bombs.

After dropping his bombs, he requested the navigator to give him a course home to England.

They flew all night blind not knowing where they were, with no lights on the ground or over water.

None of the modern instruments of today, and with no compass, Jack and his crew would have been very worried.

With the first glimmer of dawn, the navigator announced to Jack - Jack you have just won the lottery because you are flying over the house that I was born in - in Wales.

Running dangerously low on fuel, the navigator gave Jack directions and he landed at Wickenby very late, with all four engines stalling on landing.

There are other recorded incidents of flak hitting Jack's Lancaster without major damage/injury.

Flight/Lieutenant Smart flew another five ops before Germany surrendered in May, 1945.

He flew 35 bombing raids over Germany and was awarded: the 1939-1945 Star; the France & Germany Star; the Defence Medal; the Air Force Cross; and the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The citation for the DFC read: "Flying Officer Smart has completed numerous operations against the enemy in the course of which he has invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage and devotion to duty".

Following the surrender of Germany, Jack transferred to Squadron 466 for a few months flying Halifax and Oxford aircraft before an available ship was able to return him to Fremantle.

Jack was approached (in the UK) by Qantas, which was looking to recruit five pilots.

He declined their offer.

After surviving 35 bombing missions over Germany, the responsibility of commanding a heavy, four-engine aircraft with six crew and seeing the destruction and loss of aircraft and crews at a young age would have been mentally concerning, so all Jack wanted to do was to come home to his family in Katanning and get on with his life and career with Elders.

He rarely spoke about the war.

Wickenby Museum advised that an amusing article appeared in a UK newspaper after the war.

Just imagine that you are looking for a flight to central Europe and come across the following: "Same day return flights to Europe available from various airfields in Lincolnshire. Facilities include sitting on a padded plank of wood (please note that these do not recline, nor is there a food tray).The plane does not have air conditioning. Because the ambient temperature will be well below zero for most of the flight, people on board will be requested to wear sheepskin coats, gloves, and boots, and - whilst this will impair their movement - it will help reduce the effects of frostbite. There will be no hot drinks on board, but Thermos flasks will be provided, the contents of which must last for both outbound and return journeys. As the aircraft is not pressurised, everybody will be required to wear oxygen masks. Toilet facilities will be provided in the form of a no-flush chemical unit located at the rear. Everybody on board must be knowledgeable in the use of a parachute as there is a less than 70pc chance that your plane will complete its journey. Those fortunate enough to complete the round trip can expect a total journey time of six to eight hours. Free breakfasts are available in the airfield canteen for those lucky enough to return unscathed".

Probably you are thinking nobody is going to fly under such conditions. But you are wrong.

More than 120,000 young men volunteered to fly under these conditions, 57,000 of whom never made the complete trip.

So, next time you are on board a plane complaining about the lack of leg room, or the poor quality of the in-flight meal, spare a thought for those affectionately known as The Bomber Boys - for, without them, there might not have been a central Europe.

These young men who joined Bomber Command were effective in taking the fight to Germany.

They paid a terrible price and demonstrated such unbelievable bravery to get into bombers every night - six to eight hours ops, cramped conditions, freezing cold, frightened and worried they would let their mates down.

Their story is one of endurance, teamwork and understated heroism.

Thus, the next chapter in his life.

After arriving back in Perth in March, 1946, Jack met with the state manager of Elders to advise that he had arrived back from the war and to request his job back.

The state manager advised Jack that there were no positions available and that he would not be re-employed.

Jack returned to Katanning to the welcoming arms of his parents and then called into the Elders branch to meet with friends.

The manager of Elders Katanning - Robert Scott - was due to retire within a few days.

When hearing that Jack had met with the state manager who had declined to re-employ him, he exploded and - with Jack in his office - phoned the state manager to remind him that legislation made it compulsory for Elders to re-employ Jack and, furthermore, his presence at his retirement function the following week with clients attending would not be appreciated and that he should not attend.

Jack got his job back and the rest is history.

It should be noted that Jack's war history was not well known or acknowledged, except by his family and friends - certainly not by Elders - and Jack quietly and efficiently gained promotion into branch management positions in WA.

In 1958, he was appointed stock department manager for Queensland - a smaller state than WA.

When Elders merged with Goldsbrough Mort & Co. Ltd in 1962, Jack was promoted to divisional manager for Queensland and, some years later, returned to WA as divisional manager.

In 1971, Jack returned to Queensland as state manager.

In 1980, Jack was approached by Elders/IXL chairman John Elliott to take on the group executive director of the Pastoral House at head office in Adelaide, South Australia.

Jack declined the offer and accepted the position of state executive director of Elders west, in Western Australia - the position he held until he retired in 1986.

Jack and his second wife Di travelled extensively to many parts of the world.

They spent more than 20 years in Queensland following his retirement and from 2001 lived in Augusta in their dream home with views of Flinders Bay and the Southern Ocean.

They lived a quiet life, although they were both been very active with gardening and extensive house renovations until Jack has had some major health issues.

Jack died on June 2, 2022, aged 98.

Some weeks before Jack died, Keith Eastman sat down with him to make light conversation.

I had done some research of the Wickenby base and the debriefings undertaken following each successful op, which included steaming hot mugs of tea and a bacon and egg/English breakfast (when the rest of England were on rations and food stamps), I reminded Jack about the hot mugs of tea and cooked breakfasts and asked him, "what was the incentive to return home each night from his 35 ops?".

I expected him to say the obvious - survival - but he replied "his crew".

I then understood why Jack had mentioned that it was very stressful attending the debriefing sessions.

His fellow pilots/crews lost over Germany, the empty beds of mates, the lost friendships and then the loss of Neil McNicol, his rear gunner on loan to another crew.

Jack took on the responsibility and would have done his best to protect his crew.

I believe that Jack's character was built on his war experience because I have been told that he always supported his staff - from his early branch management appointments up to his senior roles at Elders.