Air Crew Europe Star with 'FRANCE AND GERMANY' clasp : Flying Officer J A Saint-Smith, RAAF Accession Number: AWM2025.1104.4

Description

Air Crew Europe Star with 'FRANCE AND GERMANY' clasp. Impressed reverse with recipient's details.

Contextual Description

This Air Crew Europe Star was issued to 403380 Flying Officer James Alexander 'Alec' Saint-Smith, RAAF. The Air Crew Europe Star recognises operational flying from United Kingdom bases over Europe between 3 September 1939 and 5 June 1944.

Flying Officer Saint-Smith served as an NCO pilot in 460 Squadron RAAF. flying Lancasters, and later as an officer with 627 Squadron RAF, flying Mosquitos. As a flight sergeant he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal in March 1943 for gallantry in a mission over Berlin. He was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross in 1944, as a flying officer with 627 Squadron. He was the captain of the Australian War Memorial's Lancaster W4789 'G for George' on its first operational sortie to Mannheim in Germany, on 6 December 1942. He flew the aircraft on another 12 occasions, using it as his regular aircraft for the remainder of his tour, which ended in March 1943. Undertaking a second tour of operations, Saint-Smith was killed in action on 29 June 1944, on his 73rd operation, when his Mosquito IV, DZ516, crashed near Vaulx, Belgium. He and his navigator, Flying Officer Geoffrey Ernest Heath DFC, DFM, RAAF (who as an NCO had served as Saint-Smith's navigator throughout his first tour of operations, with 460 Squadron) are now buried at Abbeville Communal Cemetery Extension in France.

Details

Accession Number
AWM2025.1104.4
Maker
Unknown
Classification
Heraldry
Object Type
Medal
Physical Description
Material: Bronze
Measurement
Overall (Exhibition): frame size 240 x 280 x 20 mm
Date Made
c 1946
Place Made
Gallery location
Anzac Hall, Australians in Bomber Command
Whole/Part
Whole
Item Count
1
Copyright
Copyright not applicable

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Last modified: 2 November 2026 - 6.12 am