Adrian Goldsmith
Encyclopedia
Adrian Philip "Tim" Goldsmith DFC
, DFM
(25 April 1921 – 25 March 1961) was an Australian flying ace
of the Second World War. Officially credited with shooting down 16¼ enemy aircraft while serving with the Royal Australian Air Force
, Goldsmith scored 12¼ of his victories during the Siege of Malta. His final four victories were achieved against Japan
ese aircraft while conducting operations over the South West Pacific
.
suburb of Waverley
, New South Wales
, on 25 April 1921 to Sidney Goldsmith, a timber merchant, and his English wife Philippa Mary (née Scott-Coward). Initially educated at Newington College
, Goldsmith later attended Gosford High School
following his family's move to Avoca Beach
during the Great Depression
. In 1937, aged 16, Goldsmith gained employment with the New South Wales Department of Works and Local Government as a clerk.
in June 1941 with the rank of sergeant
. During this time, he was briefly posted to No. 134 Squadron RAF and No. 242 Squadron RAF
. On 10 December 1941, Goldsmith married Dorothea Rosemary Britton in a ceremony at Tuckingmill, Cornwall
.
In February 1942, Goldsmith was posted to No. 126 Squadron RAF
on Malta
during a critical period in the Siege. Flying Hawker Hurricane
s and Supermarine Spitfire
s during this time, Goldsmith managed to shoot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109
and damage another during an aerial engagement on 21 April; his own plane was damaged by a cannon shell fired by the third of four Bf 109s involved, partially jamming his aileron
s. Within the first fortnight in May, Goldsmith had shot down a further six German and Italian aircraft and was subsequently recommended for the Distinguished Flying Medal
. The announcement and accompanying citation for the award was published in a supplement to the London Gazette
on 5 June 1942, reading:
Commissioned as a pilot officer
on 15 May, Goldsmith conducted a sortie against an Axis
shipping convoy approximately 130 miles (209.2 km) from his base on 15 June. During the engagement, Goldsmith attacked a large formation of aircraft and was confirmed as shooting down two aircraft—a CANT Z.506
and a Fiat BR.20
—with a probable third (a Macchi C.200
), within a space of ten minutes. For his efforts during this action, Goldsmith was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
. The notification and citation for the award was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 7 July 1942, reading:
By the end of his tour in July 1942, Goldsmith had amassed a tally of 12¼ aircraft shot down. Returning to England, he served as a flying instructor
before proceeding home to Australia. In January 1943, Goldsmith was posted as a flight commander to No. 452 Squadron RAAF
, which was operating out of Batchelor, Northern Territory
, in the defence of Darwin
from Japanese air raids. The unit later relocated to Strauss, near Darwin, in February. On 2 May, Goldsmith was shot down and forced to bail out of his aircraft into the sea. After twenty-four hours in an inflatable dinghy, he was discovered and rescued.
Goldsmith was promoted to acting flight lieutenant
in September 1943, by which time he had credited with shooting down four Japanese aircraft in aerial engagements. During 1943, Goldsmith's wife was reported as missing and presumed killed while on a voyage to Australia. In April 1944, he was posted to Mildura, Victoria
, as a flying instructor. On 21 October 1944, Goldsmith attended an investiture ceremony at Government House, Sydney
, where he was decorated with his Distinguished Flying Cross and Distinguished Flying Medal by the Governor of New South Wales. Two days later, he married Doris May McGrath, an Army nurse, at St Mary's Catholic Church, Concord, New South Wales
. Promoted to acting squadron leader
, Goldsmith was discharged from the Air Force on 31 May 1945 due to medical reasons. By this time, he had been credited with an official tally of 16 aircraft shot down as well as a quarter shared victory, and a further three probables.
, Goldsmith gained employment as a salesman. In 1946, he was employed by Commonwealth Oil Refineries Ltd and travelled around New South Wales with his work. He was later made State marketing-manager for the company, and returned to Sydney. On 25 March 1961, Goldsmith died of peritonitis
at the Sydney Sanitarium and Hospital following an operation for ileo-caecal
volvulus
. Survived by his wife and son, a second son was born in October 1961. Goldsmith was cremated and his ashes were later scattered over the Timor Sea
.
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, DFM
Distinguished Flying Medal
The Distinguished Flying Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active...
(25 April 1921 – 25 March 1961) was an Australian flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
of the Second World War. Officially credited with shooting down 16¼ enemy aircraft while serving with the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
, Goldsmith scored 12¼ of his victories during the Siege of Malta. His final four victories were achieved against Japan
Empire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
ese aircraft while conducting operations over the South West Pacific
South West Pacific theatre of World War II
The South West Pacific Theatre, technically the South West Pacific Area, between 1942 and 1945, was one of two designated area commands and war theatres enumerated by the Combined Chiefs of Staff of World War II in the Pacific region....
.
Early life
Goldsmith was born in the SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
suburb of Waverley
Waverley, New South Wales
Waverley is an eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Waverley is located 7 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Waverley Council....
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, on 25 April 1921 to Sidney Goldsmith, a timber merchant, and his English wife Philippa Mary (née Scott-Coward). Initially educated at Newington College
Newington College
Newington College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for boys, located in Stanmore, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Goldsmith later attended Gosford High School
Gosford High School
Gosford High School is a public, co-educational, academically selective high school located in Gosford, New South Wales, Australia with 1080 students from years 7 to 12....
following his family's move to Avoca Beach
Avoca Beach, New South Wales
Avoca Beach is a coastal suburb of the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia, about north of Sydney. It is located within the City of Gosford local government area.-Geography:...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. In 1937, aged 16, Goldsmith gained employment with the New South Wales Department of Works and Local Government as a clerk.
Second World War
On 16 September 1940, Goldsmith enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force for service during the Second World War. Accepted for pilot training, he graduated from his course and was posted to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in June 1941 with the rank of sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
. During this time, he was briefly posted to No. 134 Squadron RAF and No. 242 Squadron RAF
No. 242 Squadron RAF
No. 242 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force squadron. It flew in many roles during its active service and it is also known for being the first squadron Douglas Bader commanded.-In World War I:No...
. On 10 December 1941, Goldsmith married Dorothea Rosemary Britton in a ceremony at Tuckingmill, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
In February 1942, Goldsmith was posted to No. 126 Squadron RAF
No. 126 Squadron RAF
No. 126 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed to be a day bomber unit in World War I and reformed as a fighter unit in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No...
on Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
during a critical period in the Siege. Flying Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s and Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s during this time, Goldsmith managed to shoot down a Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
and damage another during an aerial engagement on 21 April; his own plane was damaged by a cannon shell fired by the third of four Bf 109s involved, partially jamming his aileron
Aileron
Ailerons are hinged flight control surfaces attached to the trailing edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. The ailerons are used to control the aircraft in roll, which results in a change in heading due to the tilting of the lift vector...
s. Within the first fortnight in May, Goldsmith had shot down a further six German and Italian aircraft and was subsequently recommended for the Distinguished Flying Medal
Distinguished Flying Medal
The Distinguished Flying Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and the other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active...
. The announcement and accompanying citation for the award was published in a supplement to the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 5 June 1942, reading:
Commissioned as a pilot officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
on 15 May, Goldsmith conducted a sortie against an Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
shipping convoy approximately 130 miles (209.2 km) from his base on 15 June. During the engagement, Goldsmith attacked a large formation of aircraft and was confirmed as shooting down two aircraft—a CANT Z.506
CANT Z.506
The CANT Z.506 Airone was a triple-engine floatplane produced by CANT from 1935. It served as a transport and postal aircraft with the Italian airline "Ala Littoria"...
and a Fiat BR.20
Fiat BR.20
The Fiat BR.20 Cicogna was a low-wing twin-engine medium bomber produced from mid-1930s until the end of World War II by the Turin firm. When it entered service in 1936 it was the first all-metal Italian bomber and it was regarded as one of the most modern medium bomber of the world...
—with a probable third (a Macchi C.200
Macchi C.200
The Macchi C.200 Saetta was a World War II fighter aircraft built by Aeronautica Macchi in Italy, and used in various forms throughout the Regia Aeronautica . The MC.200 had excellent manoeuvrability and general flying characteristics left little to be desired...
), within a space of ten minutes. For his efforts during this action, Goldsmith was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
. The notification and citation for the award was published in a supplement to the London Gazette on 7 July 1942, reading:
Flight instructor
A flight instructor is a person who teaches others to fly aircraft. Specific privileges granted to holders of a flight instructor qualification vary from country to country, but very generally, a flight instructor serves to enhance or evaluate the knowledge and skill level of an aviator in pursuit...
before proceeding home to Australia. In January 1943, Goldsmith was posted as a flight commander to No. 452 Squadron RAAF
No. 452 Squadron RAAF
No. 452 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force air traffic control unit. It was originally formed in 1941 fighter unit formed in accordance with Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme during World War II, in England. The squadron flew Supermarine Spitfires for the entire war, initially over...
, which was operating out of Batchelor, Northern Territory
Batchelor, Northern Territory
Batchelor is a town in the Northern Territory of Australia. The town is located in the Coomalie Shire Local Government Area, 98 kilometres south of the territory capital, Darwin...
, in the defence of Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
from Japanese air raids. The unit later relocated to Strauss, near Darwin, in February. On 2 May, Goldsmith was shot down and forced to bail out of his aircraft into the sea. After twenty-four hours in an inflatable dinghy, he was discovered and rescued.
Goldsmith was promoted to acting flight lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
in September 1943, by which time he had credited with shooting down four Japanese aircraft in aerial engagements. During 1943, Goldsmith's wife was reported as missing and presumed killed while on a voyage to Australia. In April 1944, he was posted to Mildura, Victoria
Mildura, Victoria
Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria, Australia and seat of the Rural City of Mildura local government area. It is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River. The current population is estimated at just over 30,000.Mildura is a major agricultural centre...
, as a flying instructor. On 21 October 1944, Goldsmith attended an investiture ceremony at Government House, Sydney
Government House, Sydney
Government House is located in Sydney, Australia alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, overlooking Sydney Harbour, just south of the Sydney Opera House...
, where he was decorated with his Distinguished Flying Cross and Distinguished Flying Medal by the Governor of New South Wales. Two days later, he married Doris May McGrath, an Army nurse, at St Mary's Catholic Church, Concord, New South Wales
Concord, New South Wales
Concord is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 15 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canada Bay....
. Promoted to acting squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
, Goldsmith was discharged from the Air Force on 31 May 1945 due to medical reasons. By this time, he had been credited with an official tally of 16 aircraft shot down as well as a quarter shared victory, and a further three probables.
Later life
Re-settling in Burwood, New South WalesBurwood, New South Wales
Burwood is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Burwood is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of Burwood Council....
, Goldsmith gained employment as a salesman. In 1946, he was employed by Commonwealth Oil Refineries Ltd and travelled around New South Wales with his work. He was later made State marketing-manager for the company, and returned to Sydney. On 25 March 1961, Goldsmith died of peritonitis
Peritonitis
Peritonitis is an inflammation of the peritoneum, the serous membrane that lines part of the abdominal cavity and viscera. Peritonitis may be localised or generalised, and may result from infection or from a non-infectious process.-Abdominal pain and tenderness:The main manifestations of...
at the Sydney Sanitarium and Hospital following an operation for ileo-caecal
Ileocecal valve
The ileocecal valve, or ileocaecal valve, is of a bilabial papilla structure with physiological sphincter muscle situated at the junction of the small intestine and the large intestine, with recent evidence indicating an anatomical sphincter may also be present in humans) Its critical function is...
volvulus
Volvulus
A volvulus is a bowel obstruction with a loop of bowel whose nose has abnormally twisted on itself.-Types:* Volvulus Neonatorum.* Volvulus Small Intestine.* Volvulus Caecum.* Volvulus Sigmoid Colon .* Gastric volvulus....
. Survived by his wife and son, a second son was born in October 1961. Goldsmith was cremated and his ashes were later scattered over the Timor Sea
Timor Sea
The Timor Sea is a relatively shallow sea bounded to the north by the island of Timor, to the east by the Arafura Sea, to the south by Australia and to the west by the Indian Ocean....
.