   group captain wilfrid george gerald duncan smith dso & bar, dfc & two bars (28 may 1914 â 11 december 1996) was a royal air force flying ace of the second world war. ==early life== duncan smith was born in madras, india on 28 may 1914, the son of an officer in the indian civil service. he was educated in scotland, where he joined his school's otc. returning to india in 1933, he became a coffee and tea planter, but in 1936 returned to the uk to join the raf. ==world war ii== serving with no. 7 operational training unit at the outbreak of war, smith was posted to no. 611 squadron raf later that year. he was awarded a distinguished flying cross (dfc) in june 1941, and went to no. 603 squadron raf in august 1941 as a flight commander. smith was due for a rest but had to remain operational, leading his squadron while bringing their new squadron leader up to speed. on 20 november he was taken ill, passing out after returning from a convoy patrol. smith spent some time in hospital with double pneumonia, the symptoms of which he had assumed was only the result of exhaustion from a long operational tour. upon recovery in march 1942 he was promoted to squadron leader and given command of no. 64 squadron raf. in august he became wing commander, flying at raf north weald. in november he was rested from operations with a posting to take charge of the tactics branch at fighter command, his input leading to the formation of the fighter command school of tactics at raf charmy down. while smith's non-operational tour was recognised as very productive, he began to seek a return to operations, and he was then sent to the mediterranean as wing leader, 244 wing, on malta. in september 1943 after engine failure he bailed out into the s
1914_births 1996_deaths British_World_War_II_flying_aces Companions_of_the_Distinguished_Service_Order_and_Bar Recipients_of_the_Distinguished_Flying_Cross_and_two_Bars_(United_Kingdom) Royal_Air_Force_officers Royal_Air_Force_personnel_of_World_War_II Royal_Air_Force_personnel_of_the_Malayan_Emergency