Memorial unveiled to Coventry war hero 75 years after plane crash

[dutchman]

Cyril Smith was killed when his bomber crashed in Essex in 1943. Now a village has built a memorial to the airman



A community in Essex has unveiled a memorial to an airman from Coventry, 75 years after he was killed in a plane crash.

Flight Sergeant Cyril Smith, RAFVR, was killed aged 23 when his Halifax bomber came down in the village of Ardleigh, Essex, in 1943.

Last month, to mark the tragedy, the village built a memorial in tribute to Coventrian Cyril and his crew.

Cyril's sister, Jean Evans, who lives in Chapelfields, was able to go to the unveiling of the memorial to Cyril and his crew in Ardleigh, near Colchester, Essex.

She said: “Cyril's daughter, Cyriline, told me she'd received some special news, after the research team at the Ardleigh archives had contacted her.

"We went to Colchester, with Cyriline and her husband and daughters. for the memorial unveiling, where there were people there related to all of the crew.

"There was an airman in the crew from Birdingbury as well.

“They researched it all completely. When the memorial was unveiled, Cyriline said to me... 'This has put my Daddy to rest. Now I can feel that I've said my final goodbyes.”

Mrs Evans added: “Very few RAF pilots were buried on British soil, and a lot have no graves at all, and all they have is the memorial to the unknown RAF crews near Runnymede.

"As Cyril died in Britain, we had his body. Because he was married - he married his wife Mary in the May then he died in the February, who he met whilst training at Prestwick in Stranraer, he was buried at Patna in Ayr.

"Nowadays we see the soldiers being repatriated, but during the war you could have the soldier buried from the railway station, or have them received at home.

"His wife, Mary, had the choice, so the army would deliver a body to the nearest railway station, accompanied by a soldier of the same rank.

"When they would arrive at the station, you would have to pay for them onwards.

"We received the telegram about half past twelve on the day – when you saw the telegram boys, you knew what they were delivering.

"My father took the next train up to Scotland, to Patna, and he walked from there to Prestwick, over 20 miles in the snow, and saw the Commanding Officer.

"The CO said to him, 'I'll send a wagon to collect him from the station and take him into the church. You get the church sorted out. Then the next day we can arrange him to go the cemetery with a colour party.”

[dutchman]