The man who flew as the wartime wingman of Douglas Bader, Sir Alan Smith, has died at the age of 95.
From 1941 Sir Alan flew many missions behind Britain’s most famous airman, protecting him from enemy fire.
Bader was shot down and captured by enemy troops on his first mission without Sir Alan, who had been grounded due to a bout of flu.
Bader, who famously lost both his legs in a pre-war air accident, was held as a prisoner of war until the conflict’s end, although he made a number of escape attempts.
Sir Alan who was knighted in 1982 did not fall into the hands of the Germans and retired from the RAF in 1945 with more than 1,500 flying hours.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1941 and the bar a year later.
After the war Sir Alan settled in Kinross-shire to teach pilots and became active in the community.
He chaired the Tay Foundation, securing long-term leases on salmon nets in the river estuary.
Sir Alan was born in South Shields in March 1917. He was the youngest child of four sons born to Captain Alfred Smith and his wife Lilian. The couple also had an adopted daughter.
He dropped out of school at the age of 14 to help his mother after his father was lost at sea.
After just a year working with her in her ironmongery store he set up his own business selling sweets and tobacco.
Just before the start of the war Sir Alan joined the RAF Voluntary Reserve and qualified to fly Tiger Moths.
He was called up to full-time duty with just 14 hours’ experience in the air and was flying Spitfires within the year.
Sir Alan later described his introduction to the iconic flying machine.
He said: “The instructor merely pointed out the various levers, patted me on the back and said ‘best of luck’.”
He transferred to Tangmere just one month before Bader arrived to take command of the wing. He was personally selected by the flying ace to protect him from enemy aircraft.
Sir Alan said: “He came into the dispersal hut, got his eyes on me and said ‘What’s your name?’ ‘Smith, sir’, I said. ‘Right you’ll do. Fly as my number two and God help you if you let any Hun get on my tail’.”
Sir Alan did his duty until August 9 1941, when he was ordered to remain on the ground after falling ill.
That day Bader was forced to bale out of his plane over France and spent the next few years infuriating the Nazis with his repeated escapes and recaptures.
In November Sir Alan was posted to Balado aerodrome to train new pilots.
He met local woman Margaret Todd while she was working for the Women’s Voluntary Service.
The couple married in Kinross in July 1943 and went on to have two daughters and three sons between 1945 and 1959.
After the war ended he began working for his father-in-law Herbert Todd at the local woollen mill, Todd and Duncan Ltd.
Under his management the company evolved into Dawson International Ltd.
His youngest son Stuart said his father put his longevity down to hard work, self-discipline and a healthy lifestyle.
He said he most admired his father’s generosity, fairness and integrity.