Service to remember pilot shot down behind enemy lines

Pilot officer George Smith was in a Lancaster bomber which was shot down during a mission to Frankfurt in November 1943.

His remains were only uncovered in 2010 and he will finally be laid to rest at a ceremony organised by the Ministry of Defence and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on Wednesday.

His niece Evelyn Craig was born three years after he went missing but has headed out to Germany to pay her respects for a special arranged military funeral service.

She explained how her mother Rose had never spoken to her about the war but it was obvious to her that she and her brother were very close.

Evelyn, 69, said:"When we were told George's remains had been found all I could think of was my mum and how very upset she was when we went to remembrance Day Services.

"She never had any information about his disappearance and bore it with a sore heart.

"George was only 25 when he was shot down over Germany and as his body was never recovered after the crash it left his parents distraught.

"It makes me feel very emotional because I have known all my life it was something that my mum had never really got over.

"For my mum's sake I really feel I have taken that on a bit.  It makes me feel at peace in a way."

Mrs Craig's cousin Linda Ralph has researched the family history and came up with a lot of information about her uncle who was 25 years old and was only married six months when he died.

George, one of four brothers from a  fishing family in Buckie, Moray,. was a flight engineer in the RAF, commissioned as an officer in October 1943 and the crew joined 97(Pathfinder) Squadron in early November.

He had recently got married to his sweetheart Dorothy Hamilton and had just qualified as a flight engineer.

The Lancaster JB221  took off on their first operational flight with the squadron at 00.30 hours on the night of November 25/26 and were shot down near Brandau with the loss of the whole crew.

Although some crew members were recovered immediately after the crash, four - including George - were never found and were commemorated on the Runnymede memorial in Surrey.

Linda had researched the crash and knew the general location where the Lancaster came down - one mile east of the village of Brandau.

In February 2010 Linda received a call to say that the crash shite had been found thanks to local student Felix Klingenbeck who had learned of the crash from an old local man who had witnessed the events as a child.

George will be laid to rest at the Durnback War Cemetery in Southern Germany this morning followed by a memorial service for another Lancaster crew. The services will be conducted by the Revd (Squadron Leader) Colin O'Dell, RAF. 

Attending the service will be Mr Smith's relatives along with representatives from embassies, the air forces and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The ceremony has been organised by the UK Ministry of Defence Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre Commemorations Team and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission working in partnership.

Evelyn will be in attendance with her husband Jim along with Linda and her family.

Evelyn said: "I am surprised to learn what the Ministry of Defence is doing to help the families of servicemen who died all these years ago.

"It is so respectful what they are doing - contacting the families, arranging the service to be conducted by an RAF padre, with airmen carrying the coffin and organising the reception - it is quite amazing."

George was the only one of his brother not to survive the war. His older brother Alec was attached to the Gurkhas.  He lost a leg and was awarded the Military Cross.

Another brother Jim was in the Gordon Highlanders.  He escaped from PoW camps twice and became a hero of the French Resistance while brother Arthgur served in the Royal Navy.