These profiles and stories were donated to the RAAF Museum by the Gold Coast Branch of the Air Crew Association.

Service Profile: Geoff Smith

In 1941, Geoffrey J. Smith joined the Royal Australian Air Force and trained as a pilot. During training, he attended Initial Training School (ITS) at Sandgate, Queensland, before starting his Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) instruction at Archerfield, Queensland, flying Tiger Moths.

His flying training was being carried out under the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS), and the next phase involved a posting to a Service Flying Training School (SFTS) at Brandon in Canada.

After gaining his pilot's wings in Canada, Geoff travelled to Nova Scotia where he embarked on a ship bound for the United Kingdom. He underwent further training as a bomber pilot, following the familiar RAF Bomber Command progression. Firstly, he went to Advanced Flying Unit (AFU) where his posting was to Greenham Common in Berkshire, thence to Operational Training Unit (OTU) at Cottesmore, and Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU) at Swinderby in Lincolnshire. He was then posted to No. 467 (RAAF) Squadron at Bottesford. Interestingly, the boundaries of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire all met on Bottesford airfield.

Geoff flew Lancasters in the European theatre of war until being forced to ditch in the North Sea near the Dutch coast, then spent nearly two years as a prisoner-of-war.

In between the Tiger Moths and the Lancasters, Geoff flew Cessna Cranes, Airspeed Oxfords, Wellingtons and Manchesters.

Post World War 2, Geoff flew as a pilot until 1951 at which time he lost his aircrew medical category. During that period, he flew Austers, Catalinas, Wirraways and Lincolns.

Geoff remained in the RAAF Special Duties Branch until 1954 when he was forced to retire due to ill-health.

As it Happened: The Battle of Hornpayne (80K PDF)