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andy bird
6th February 2014, 00:32
It is with deep regret that I have to in form you that Wing Commander Norman Jackson-Smith DFC, a Pilot Officer during the Battle of Britain has sadly passed away.

He served with No. 235 (Fighter) Squadron from the time of its conception in October 1939 and during its transition into a Coastal Command in 1940.

During the Battle of Britain as a pilot of the Blenheim fighter he dispatched his first enemy aircraft a He III over the North Sea and his tally steadily rose. Jackson-Smith managed to earn his DFC whilst on 235 Squadron, before joining PRU at Benson, with a long spell in the Middle East after delivering a PR aircraft, he was asked to stay and in late 1944 he returned to England. Being reassigned to No. 235 Squadron which was operating out of Banff NE Scotland, becoming eventually a flight commander leading many Rovers and shipping strikes, around and in the Norwegian coast and fjords. Shortly after March 1945 he became No. 248 Squadron's Commanding Officer after Roy Orrok DFC was lost.

Flt/Lt 'Lofty' Gittens became Jackson-Smith's trusted observer and both saw the war out hunting shipping and U-Boats in April and on the 2 May. After VE Day ASR patrols were flown in the Skaggerak, The 1945 Coastal Command cull, No. 248 Squadron managed to survive and in July Jackson-Smith took the unit to RAF Chivenor and began flying sorties on the Operation Deadlight (strikes against captured U-Boats for experimental purposes "A real bore," he remained with the squadron until the October (1945).

He retreated to Ireland with some of the former strike wing leaders to reflect. Unsure of the direction he should take he re-joined the RAF and flew Helicopters in Malaya during the troubles. He would eventually find solace by joining The Priesthood - a silent order.

I have known Jackson-Smith myself for 18 years, five of those were gaining the trust of the Holy Order, and I mainly spoke with him on the telephone. It was not until I embarked on the writing of Coastal Dawn (Grub St Publishing) that I was actually given permission to meet Jackson-Smith in person. It was a great privilege to go on the occasional retreat to interview him. When Coastal Dawn was published in 2012 and Launched at IWM Duxford the frail gentleman turned out to sign the book, with DFC emblazoned on his left breast. This was actually the first time he had done a public signing and it was an honour for me to have him there for just a short while.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, may Norman Jackson-Smith Rest In Peace.

Andy D Bird
Registrar No. 235 Squadron

Tom Semenza
12th February 2014, 05:13
Hi Andy,

Thanks for sharing this with us. Can you tell us the date and place of the passing of W/C Jackson-Smith? Also do you know his exact date of birth? According to the Free BDM website he was born in London in 1916. From your book Coastal Dawn I found two claims for him, namely a He 111 destroyed on 15.08.40 and another He 111 damaged on 23.08.40. Do you have info on any other aerial claims for him?

Regards,
Tom