Wallace Alexander Smart
Royal Air Force flying ace (1898–1943)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wallace Alexander Smart (born 17 January 1898 in Aberdeen, Scotland) was a Scottish-born British soldier, air force pilot, and fighter ace in the First World War.
Royal Air Force (1918–19)
Wallace Alexander Smart | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 July 1898 Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire |
| Died | 23 December 1943 (aged 45) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Branch | British Army (1917–18) Royal Air Force (1918–19) |
| Service years | c. 1917–19 |
| Rank | Lieutenant |
| Unit | No. 1 Squadron RFC (1918–19) |
| Conflicts | First World War |
Life
Military service
Due to his young age, he was not able to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) until early 1918. On 10 April 1918, he joined the No. 1 Squadron in France, one of the most successful squadrons of the RAF. He scored his first aerial victory on the last day of May 1918 against a German Albatros DV aircraft. He shared his second victory with other pilots the following evening, near Armentières . His next victory was a month later, on 1 July, against a Halberstadt C aircraft, with Harold Kullberg and John Bateman. He scored his two further victories at the beginning and end of October (on the 1st and 29th respectively). Both were against Fokker D.VII, and his fourth victory on the 1st was shared with seven other pilots. Throughout his service, he flew a British SE5a fighter, and he also achieved his aerial victories with this aircraft.
Aerial victories
| Serial number | Date | Unit | Aircraft | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1918. May 31. | No. 1 Squadron RAF | S.E.5a | Albatros D.V |
| 2 | 1918. June 1. | No. 1 Squadron RAF | S.E.5a | Pfalz D.III |
| 3 | 1918. July 1. | No. 1 Squadron RAF | S.E.5a | Halberstadt C |
| 4 | 1918. October 1. | No. 1 Squadron RAF | S.E.5a | Fokker D.VII |
| 5 | 1918. October 29. | No. 1 Squadron RAF | S.E.5a | Fokker D.VII |
References
Theaerodrome.com: https://theaerodrome.com/aces/scotland/smart.php