Sydney Philip Smith

Name:

Sydney Philip Smith

Country:

England

Rank:

Captain

Service:

Royal Flying Corps
Royal Air Force

Units:

6, 46

Victories:

Born:

10 May 1896

Place of Birth:

Aldershot, Hampshire

Died:

06 April 1918

Place of Death:

Villers Bretonneux

Memorial:

Arras Flying Services Memorial, Pas de Calais, France

Smith was killed when his Sopwith Camel was shot down by Manfred von Richthofen in a Fokker DR.I. He was the Red Baron's 76th victim. In his novel, "Winged Victory," Victor Yeates based the character of "Beal" on Sydney Smith.

Manfred von Richthofen's Combat Report

". . . we attacked several enemy one-seaters at low altitude. . . The English plane which I attacked started to burn after only a few shots from my guns. Then it crashed, burning near the little wood northeast of Villers Bretonneux, where it continued burning on the ground." Manfred von Richthofen

Victories

	Date	Time	Unit	Aircraft	Opponent	Location
1	17 Mar 1917	1205	6	B.E.2d (6278) ¹	Albatros D.II (DES)	Becelaere
2	16 Mar 1918	1130	46	Sopwith Camel (C1617)	C (OOC) ²	S of Brebieres
3	16 Mar 1918	1200	46	Sopwith Camel (C1617)	C (OOC) ²	S of Brebieres
4	24 Mar 1918	1600	46	Sopwith Camel (D6407)	C (DES)	57C I 17c
5	02 Apr 1918	1245	46	Sopwith Camel	C (DES) ³	Courcelles

1	Observer AM2 Backhouse
2	Shared with Capt George Thomson
3	Shared with Lt Alexander Vlasto, Lt Horace Debenham, 2Lt Donald MacLaren, 2Lt Roy McConnell