Second lieutenant James Robert Smith (born 18 May 1891, date of death unknown) was a World War I

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

credited with five aerial victories.

Early life

Smith was Scots born, but emigrated to Prince Edward, Saskatchewan, Canada in 1910, when in his late teens. He worked there as a mechanical and electrical engineer until 1912. In 1913, he started his own business in

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 census, Regina had a city populatio ...

, and ran it until he returned to the United Kingdom after the outbreak of war in the latter months of 1914. On 20 January 1915, James Robert Smith went to Ottawa and volunteered for military service. His Canadian Attestation Papers gives his next of kin as his father, James B. Smith. The younger Smith claimed to be in a Regina militia unit. Physical examination showed him to be five feet seven inches tall, with light brown hair and eyes and fair complexion.

Aerial service

Once in, he served as an observer/gunner in the Royal Aircraft Factory FE.2bs of 18 Squadron. He scored his first aerial victory on the day after Christmas 1916, when he drove down an

Albatros D.II The Albatros D.II was a German fighter aircraft used during World War I. After a successful combat career in the early '' Jagdstaffeln'', it was gradually superseded by the Albatros D.III. Design and development Albatros designers Robert Thelen ...

out of control over

Vélu Vélu () is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Hauts-de-France region of France. Geography Vélu is situated some southeast of Arras, at the junction of the D18 and the D18E roads. Population Places of interest * The church of ...

, France. On 6 April 1917, he scored his fifth victory over an Albatros D.II, having destroyed one, captured one, and driven three down out of control. Five days later, a stomach wound suffered in action removed him from duty. He recovered to serve in three Home Defence Squadrons during 1918. On 6 August 1918, he injured his left eye. He came back from that wound to serve in 78 squadron. He returned to Canada in late 1919.

Sources of information

References

* ''Pusher Aces of World War 1'' Jon Guttman, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Pub Co, 2009. , . {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, James Robert 1891 births Year of death missing People from Orkney Royal Flying Corps officers Scottish emigrants to Canada British World War I flying aces Scottish flying aces