Vandy Smith

Tribute page: WW2 RAF Pilot Officer Vandy Vandeleur-Smith

Hi and welcome to this site!

Thanks to Graham Vandeleur Smith who kindly sent me information and scans of his father's war Log book/photograph album:

Dear Tinus

Have read with much interest, the information about 19SAAF. My father was a Beaufighter pilot in the RAF in 227 squadron, which later became 19SAAF.

I have his flying log books and many operational photographs and have been reading through the dates, etc. I have attached a photo (I have the actual photo) showing crews of 227 squadron and 16 SAAf – my father is on the far right.

Have listed some of the sorties he flew below:

Pilot Officer R V Smith 184991. Nickname was Vandy. (Robert Vandeleur-Smith)

August 14th 1944, strike on German HQ at Dubrovnik.

August 18^th, strafing airfield at Banja Luka.

August 21^st, strike on 3 UJ boats at Zante. He was hit on port air intake and port tailplane and returned to Biferno. I know he was awarded the DFM for this strike at Zante.

September 17^th1944. Strike on German barracks Valjevo

September 19^th, train busting Brod Vinkovci – 3 attached, 1 destroyed

22^nd September. Strike, naval guns on Corfu

24^th September, Strike on coastal guns at Saranje

26^th September, attack on German garrison in Banja Luka – destroyed

October 12^th. Mortar positions and OP in hills near Shingsin and Elbasan – destroyed

October 16^th. Attacked troops & tanks in monastery at Tomislavgrad – destroyed.

He flew 51 sorties in total.

He was then in 79. O.T.U. flying Anson’s and Oxfords and ion 29^th January 1945, was a flying instructor in No.11 Flying Instructors School Shallufa.

My father re-joined the RAF in the fifties and was a flying instructor at RAF Heaney, Rhodesia. He returned to UK and flew Shackleton’s. Following a career in the RAF he retired in 1973 as Wing Commander.

I hope this is of interest to you and as I would love to know more, I will continue learning all I can.

Kind regards

Graham Vandeleur Smith

Wing Commander Robert Vandeleur Smith DFM

RAF War Service History:

Flying/Officer Robert Vandeleur Smith DFM

Known as “Vandy” during wartime.

RAFVR whilst serving as Constable in the Glasgow Police.

Mobilised in June 1941 (see attached scan showing Record of service)

Awarded pilots badge in January 1943.

2nd March 1944 227 Squadron

3rd August 1944 19 SAAF Biferno

Awarded DFM 4th October 1944.

January 1945 11 F.I.S. Shallufa

February 1945 79 O.T.U Nicosia

June 1945 No 11 F.I.S. Shallufa

September 1945 11 F.I.S Ballah

November 1945 last day of service

Total flying time: 924 Hrs 40 Min. (732 Hrs 15 Min Pilot, 191 Hrs 25 Mins Dual)

1945 returned to Glasgow Police and joined CID.

1946. Married Elizabeth (Betty) Maclachlan in Glasgow.

RAF Post-war Service History

1949. No.11 Reserve Flying School.

1951. Central Flying School and Flying Instructors course.

(1951. Resigned as Detective Constable, Glasgow Eastern Division)

Joined RAF with a permanent commission. Posted to No. 4 F.T.S. RAF Heany, Rhodesia, as flying

instructor. 1955 Posted to 236 OCU Kinloss flying Shackletons and Neptunes.

Then HQ Coastal Command on the Categorisation Board.

1960 posted to Germany with photographic section, back to UK in 1963 (still photographic section)

with various posting. Bob retired in 1973 as Wing Commander.

Total career flying time: 2746 Hrs 25 Mins.

Aircraft flown:

Tiger Moth, Harvard, Oxford, Beaufort, Beaufighter 1, V1, X, V, Blenheim V, Anson, Baltimore, Argus,

Wellington, Chipmunk, Prentice, Meteor V11, Shackleton, Neptune, Dakota

On retirement, Bob & Betty and their daughter and son moved from Cambridgeshire to Glasgow.

Sadly, Bob passed away 9 years later, on 10th May 1982.

his is a living web site. Any input and/or participation will be much appreciated regarding additional information, correctness, information from relatives of members who served with Vandy, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me.

If you perhaps have a family member who served as a SAAF fighter pilot during WW2 and you would want to find out more about his war service please contact me, hopefully I can be of some help.

Tinus le Roux

August 2020

PHOTOGRAPHS

WORLD WAR 2

BEAUFIGHTER STRIKE PHOTOGRAPHS SAAF 19 SQUADRON 1944

LOG BOOK ENTRIES OPERATIONAL SERVICE 1944

POST-WAR