Photo: Derek Haynes
1539038 Aircraftman 2nd Cl.
T. Smith
Royal Air Force
24th May 1942 Age 21
Sometime someday we'll understand
Son of Frank and Sarah Smith of Southwick, Sunderland.
Derek Haynes has provided the following
Thomas was the eldest child of Frank and Sarah Smith (formerly Bell, nee Oliver) his birth was registered in the March Q of 1921 in Sunderland. Frank and Sarah were married in the June Q 1919. There is one other child who can definitely be identified as a sibling to Thomas and that was James (born 28th April 1923 this date would need verifying as there are errors with birth dates in the 1939 Register). It does show another person living with Frank and Sarah but to date their record is still officially closed. It is possible that the other person on the record is Wilfred Bell whose birth was registered in the September Q 1914. Sarah had previously been married to William Bell unfortunately, he was killed in action on the 14th July 1916 while serving with “A” Company 8th Battalion of the East Yorkshire Regt. They had married in the September Q 1908.
Because service records after 1922 are restricted and only held by the Ministry of Defence (though direct relatives can apply to access an individual’s record) we have virtually no information on the time Thomas spent while serving his country.
It is known he enlisted into the R. A. F. Volunteer Reserve and was given the service number 1539038, serving as an Aircraftman 2nd Class.
Sadly, on the 24th May 1942 Thomas died in Cirencester.
The Sunderland Echo 27/05/1942 reports:-
: At South Cerney (the result of an accident on active service) on May 24, aged 21 years, Thomas, dearly loved son of Frank and Sarah Smith. Internment at Southwick Cemetery on Friday, cortege leaving residence (10 Back Malaburn Terrace, Southwick, at 10.15 p.m. for service in Southwick Parish Church. Deeply mourned.
The body of Thomas was returned home to 10 Back Malaburn Terrace, Southwick and on the 29th May he was laid to rest in Section AA Grave no. 238 of Southwick Cemetery.
A CWGC headstone marks his final resting place.
It would only be 14 months later after losing his son that Frank’s wife Sarah died in Monkwearmouth Hospital aged only 53 years; she was laid to rest in Southwick Cemetery. Frank lived to the age of 79 years he died December/ January 1959/60 and was also laid to rest in Southwick Cemetery. Both Frank and Sarah are interred in the same plot as their son.
Thomas Smith is not remembered on a local War Memorial.
He is included in Peter Gibson's Book and he is remembered in a RAF Book of Remembrance
