Ian Smith served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He interrupted his studies at Rhodes University in South Africa to join up in 1941. Smith was shot down by anti-aircraft fire during a strafing attack on a railway yard in the Po Valley in northern Italy in June 1944. He landed without serious injury in the Ligurian Alps. Smith remained with No. 130 Squadron for the rest of his service, and returned home at the end of 1945. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly for his birthplace, Selukwe, in 1948. He became Prime Minister in 1964, during his country’s dispute with Britain regarding the terms for independence.
About Military service of Ian Smith in brief
Ian Smith served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. He interrupted his studies at Rhodes University in South Africa to join up in 1941. Smith was shot down by anti-aircraft fire during a strafing attack on a railway yard in the Po Valley in northern Italy in June 1944. He landed without serious injury in the Ligurian Alps, in an area that was behind German lines, but largely under the control of anti-German Italian partisans. Smith remained with No. 130 Squadron for the rest of his service, and returned home at the end of 1945. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly for his birthplace, Selukwe, in 1948. He became Prime Minister in 1964, during his country’s dispute with Britain regarding the terms for independence. Smith’s military record on behalf of Britain became central to his sense of betrayal by post-war British governments. This partly motivated his administration’s Unilateral Declaration of Independence in 1965. His status as a Second World World War RAF veteran helped him win support, both domestically and internationally. Smith is the son of British settlers in Southern Rhodesia. He attended Chaplin School in Gwelo, where he was head prefect, recipient of the Victor Ludorum in athletics, captain of the school teams in cricket, rugby union and tennis, and successful academically. After graduating in 1937, he attended Rhodes University College in Grahamstown, South Africa, which was often attended by Rhodesian students, partly because Rhodesia then had no university of its own.
He read for a Bachelor of Commerce degree. Smith wanted to leave Rhodes immediately to join the Southern Rhodesian Air Force, but did not because military recruiters in the colony had been told not to accept university students until after they graduated. In June 1940, he travelled to Salisbury, to tell the director of manpower, William Addison, that he wanted to join air force; Smith did not mention his attendance at university to avoid being barred from enlistment. Early in 1941, Smith received his second interview with an air force official and gave his physical examination. He flew combat missions there until Germany surrendered in May 1945. Smith stayed at Rhodes during the academic year to finish studying to finish his studies, but secretly made plans to leave for military service in spite of his instructions. He remained at Rhodes for the remainder of his academic year, and was successful in a second interview and a physical examination in June 1941. He then joined No. 237 Squadron RAF, which had operated in the Western Desert from 1941 to early 1942, becoming No. 237 Squadron RAF. Two more RAFrons, No 44 and No 266, were subsequently also designated “Rhodesian Squadrons” during the mid-year of 1940 to Remaining at Rhodes. Smith later became the first Rhodesian Prime Minister to be a member of the British House of Commons. He died in a car crash in December 1994. He is survived by his wife and three children. He has a daughter, two sons and a step-son.
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