Francis Ryan Smith, No. 2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, his war service

A talk by Alan Smith, his grandson, at the Anzac Memorial, on 18 May 2024.
Francis Ryan Smith
Francis Ryan Smith was born 23 July 1896, in Brisbane, Queensland. He worked as a clerk before joining the AIF on 20 July 1915, during the First World War.
As an infantry officer, he served with distinction in the 31st Battalion, seeing action on the Western Front at Fromelles and then later around Armentieres in 1916, for which he was awarded the Military Cross, for bravery under fire. He transferred to the AFC for training, then joined No. 2 Squadron AFC as a pilot on 28 February 1918.
Piloting a RAF S.E.5a, he was credited with a total of 16 aerial victories, consisting of nine enemy aircraft sent down out of control, and seven others destroyed including one shared.
Along the way, Smith became a Flight Leader by mid-September 1918; he also became his squadron’s leading ace. Additionally, he became the squadron’s final casualty, being shot down on 10 November 1918.
Although downed behind enemy lines, he evaded capture by donning civilian clothing and covering 40 miles back to his squadron mess. He found his squadron mates celebrating the Armistice ending the war.
Alan Smith
The speaker, Alan Smith, is a former Australian army officer with overseas operational service, he holds a private pilot’s licence and has a keen interest in military and defence studies. Alan is an executive committee member of the Royal United Service Institute of New South Wales.