WWII bomber navigator revisits past

Photo By Staff Sgt. Erin Trower | Roy Smith, a Royal Air Force Stirling bomber navigator during World War II, visits RAF Lakenheath, England, Jan. 17, 2016. Smith was assigned to the 199th Heavy Bomber Squadron, here, in 1943. (U.S. Air Force illustration/Senior Airman Erin Trower)  

RAF LAKENHEATH, UNITED KINGDOM

01.29.2016

Story by Senior Airman Erin Trower 

48th Fighter Wing

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England - World War II veteran Roy Smith and his family recently visited Royal Air Force Lakenheath where he served in 1943 as an RAF Striling bomber navigator.

In 1941, Smith made the decision to join the RAF in hopes of becoming a navigator. To his dismay, he found himself on the fast-track to becoming a pilot.

Although many of his peers had wanted to become pilots, Smith’s heart wasn’t in it. He had his eyes on being a navigator.

Due to an unexpected series of events, Smith’s pilot training came to an end, and he learned that he would be sent to Canada for a navigator's course, just as he had desired.

In 1943, after completing the training, Smith was assigned to the 199th Heavy Bomber Squadron, here, and joined a Stirling bomber crew. The squadron was established with Short Stirling heavy bombers to train at RAF Lakenheath for marine operations over the English Channel and the North Sea.

From October 1943 through April 1944, the 199th Heavy Bomber Squadron was involved in high-risk heavy bombing raids over Germany.

The Stirling was inadequate in terms of the height it could attain, resulting in damage from bombs raining down from the Lancasters and Hurricanes above and damage beneath the aircraft.

“In 1944, the squadron moved to North Creake where they carried out equally dangerous missions making drops to the French Resistance, or jamming German radar with the dropping of strips of metal paper, nicknamed 'window',” said Steven Smith, Roy’s son. “They returned from one of those missions with the branch of a tree stuck in the tail - they flew at such low heights to make their drops.”

The average number of sorties most crews completed amounted to about 11, while Smith and his crew completed 43.

“One of his (Roy’s) most vivid memories was of waking each day in the hut and seeing seven empty beds next to their own,” Steven said. “And a few days later, the same. How must you have felt as you were called out to board your plane and fly down over enemy territory wondering if you would be the next seven not to return? They used to make light of it. He said to his neighbor one day, ‘if you don't make it back, can I have your bike?’ His neighbor did not make it back.”

According to Steven, the trip to Lakenheath was a moving one that took them all back to 1943.

“This whole weekend was an emotive and nostalgic visit,” Steven said. “He was only 21 years old; flying over Germany at nighttime in the pitch dark, not knowing if you would ever come home.”

• Date Taken: 01.29.2016
• Date Posted: 01.29.2016 11:49
• Story ID: 187379
• Location: RAF LAKENHEATH, GB