Alan Smith

Background

Smith was born at South Shields, County Durham. He left Bede College School, Sunderland at 14 after the death of his merchant navy sea captain father to work in his mother"s ironmongery store and then set up his own business.

Career

He trained as a pilot after joining the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and joined Number. 610 Squadron Royal Air Force. He then joined Number. 616 Squadron Royal Air Force as a sergeant pilot in January 1941 based at Royal Air Force Tangmere.

He was under the command of Wing Commander Douglas Bader who selected him as his wingman in which role he was described as “leech-like", and "a perfect number two".

Two further well-known individuals made up Bader"s section of four aircraft during this period: Johnnie Johnson and "Cocky" Dundas. Three of the four (Bader, Dundas and Smith) went on to receive knighthoods and all four survived the war.

On 9 August 1941 Smith was about to be commissioned and was away in London buying his uniform. He was therefore unavailable to fly and protect his Colorado"s tail and Bader was shot down and spent the remainder of the war as a PoW. Smith then served as an instructor and trained Americans to fly the Spitfire.

He joined Number. 93 Squadron Royal Air Force and took part in Operation Torch flying from Algeria and he shot down four Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighters and other aircraft.

After service as a flying instructor in Florida he left the Royal Air Force in December 1945 as a Flight Lieutenant. Smith then moved to Scotland where he became a managing director and then a chief executive in the textile industry. He also served as Chairman of Quayle Munro, merchant bank, in Edinburgh.

Achievements

• He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1976 and was knighted in 1982. On 4 November 1941, the then Pilot Officer Alan Smith, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Number. 616 Squadron is awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: Throughout the 44 operational sorties in which, he has participated, this officer has shown the greatest keenness to "engage the enemy and has destroyed at least four of their aircraft. In combat, he has been of great support to his leader on numerous occasions On 16 February 1943, Flight Lieutenant Alan Smith Distinguished Flying Cross, Royal Air Force Reserve, Number. 93 Squadron is awarded a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy: During the campaign in North Africa, Flight Lieutenant Smith has destroyed 4 enemy aircraft. His great skill, and fine example have inspired the formation he leads. On 1 January 1976, as chairman of Dawson International, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the new year honours. On 12 June 1982, he was appointed a Knight Batchelor as chairman and chief executive of Dawson International in the Queen"s Birthday Honours.