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:
Flying Officer Robert Vandeleur Smith (Vandy)
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 18th, strafing airfield at Banja Luka.
August 21st, 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 17th1944. Strike on German barracks Valjevo
September 19th, train busting Brod Vinkovci – 3 attached, 1 destroyed
22nd September. Strike, naval guns on Corfu
24th September, Strike on coastal guns at Saranje
26th September, attack on German garrison in Banja Luka – destroyed
October 12th. Mortar positions and OP in hills near Shingsin and Elbasan – destroyed
October 16th. 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 29th 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

Vandy
Vandy in 227 Sqn with 16 SAAF crerw
Vandy on left with his navigator Jonnie Johnson
Vandy third man along pulling face
Vandy with Jonnie Johnson navigator
19 SAAF
DFM Awarded 4th October 1944
11.F.I.S. Shallufa 1945
18 course Shallufa 1945
20 course Shallufa 1945
BEAUFIGHTER STRIKE PHOTOGRAPHS SAAF 19 SQUADRON 1944
LOG BOOK ENTRIES OPERATIONAL SERVICE 1944
POST-WAR
Bob in Shackleton 1954 Kinloss
Bob on front of Daily Express 1963
Bob with Shorty Bartrum NZ (CAT. Board)
Bullawayo Queens fly past. Vandy is flying in centre of the R
May 1957 School of Photography, Warwickshire
Permanent Commision
Shack, Nept, Sund
Vandy in centre
Wedding day
Betty McClachlan in WRAF
Bob & Betty 19th Jan 1946
Bob & Betty 1962 Germany
Bob & Betty in South Africa