George V. Smith - The Odd Bod Who Embraced His Fellow Man

The following article by Bruce Waxman and Walter Eacott became the basis for a formal obituary published in The Age on Friday March 18th 2016.

The Odd Bod who embraced his fellow man and enriched their lives

GEORGE VIVIAN SMITH  1 -1-1924 – 17-12-2015

Bruce Waxman and Walter Eacott

Always regarded as the father of the Odd Bods Association (UK) Inc. George V Smith succumbed to a long standing respiratory ailment, in sight of his ninety second birthday, on December 17 2015.

Most Australians would consider an odd bod as someone who is ‘not quite the full two bob’.
However, in the Royal Air Force (RAF) Officers’ and Sergeants’ messes and crew rooms in England during the Second World War, it meant someone who was a stranger to the others. ‘Who is that chap? Ah, some sort of odd bod!’ Indeed it was usually someone transferred as fill in aircrew and often an Australian.

George enlisted in the RAAF on 17 July 1942 and trained in Australia and Canada as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. In April 1944 he arrived in the UK on attachment to the RAF and in July posted to 180 Squadron, a unit of the 2nd Tactical Air Force operating B25 Mitchell bombers in day light raids against German forces in France, based at Dunsfold, Surrey. He found himself the only Australian in a crew of 4 Englishmen.

His first operations were in support of the Allied break-out from the Normandy beach-head. His fourth mission may have been George’s last.

The aircraft was badly damaged over France, with David Kirk, the bomb-aimer, sustaining a serious leg injury. George, with little regard for his own safety and divesting himself of his parachute, moved from the rear turret to the nose to provide aid to David. He also had to clamber over David to release his foot caught in the plane’s framework. George then made a make shift tourniquet to stop the bleeding administered morphine and nursed David between his legs all the way home. In the meantime the pilot jettisoned the bombs and made a crash landing back in England. David was rushed to hospital and although he lost his leg, survived the war to rose to the rank of Wing Commander in the RAF, later migrating to Australia. When the aircraft was inspected the rear turret, where George would have been seated, was smashed to smithereens .

Some years later, when they met at an Odd Bods function in Melbourne, and David thanked George for saving his life, George retorted, but you also saved mine.

His tour of operations ended in December 1944 after 44 missions, completing his tour with the rank of Flying Officer and returned to Australia in May 1945. In 2005, he was presented with the Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest decoration, acknowledging the enormous effort he and other aircrew made to free France from German rule.

Leading up to Anzac Day 1946, he found that his fellow ex-servicemen were organizing reunions with their respective regiments, but to what did George belong? WithBruce Marshall, also ex-RAAF aircrew, George had the idea of forming their own organization so he organized some friends from RAAF aircrew in RAF squadrons, and formed the Odd Bods (UK) Association, using the term derived from the mess and the crew rooms in the UK. In mid-1947 the first get-together was held where nine veterans had gathered. By the 1960s the number reached over 500.

George went onto to be President, newsletter sub-editor and subsequently the longest serving secretary.

In September 2015, the original Association was officially cancelled and the remaining Odd Bods, were generously absorbed into the Friends of the Odd Bods Association Inc., formed for that purpose. The ‘Friends’ is made up of the descendants of the Odd Bods and carry on the traditions of their parent Association including the motto, Pressing on Remembering.

In recognition of George’s significant contributions to the Odd Bods, the Friends committee will sponsor the George V Smith Award, to be presented at the annual Wesley College, Glen Waverley ANZAC Day commemorative service, at which George was a regular speaker and guest, to the year 10 student who has written the best essay about the ANZAC spirit.

George was active in many other community organizations including the Berry Street Babies Home, the Ryder-Cheshire Foundation, the Mitcham Probus Club, and the RAAF Association.

George was born in Melbourne, to Roy Vivian and Elsie Eileen (nee Pocknee)
Smith and spent his early childhood in Collingwood but paradoxically, became an ardent Carlton supporter and was quite a handy footballer himself.

He had a somewhat unhappy relationship with his father, who insisted that George roll his cigarettes for him, the stench becoming ingrained into George’s hands, and made him a non-smoker all his life. That lack of connectedness and warmth towards his father may have been the catalyst which convinced him that men should demonstrate a greater affection towards each other beyond the customary handshake.

So George initiated the ‘Smith hug’ as a greeting gesture amongst men in the Smith house hold. Unsuspecting fathers of potential daughters in law soon learnt is was their turn to be greeted with a hug from the groom’s father and male relatives.

George married Shirley Rae Walker on 17 January 1947, who predeceased him in 1994. Together they had five children: Greg, Peter, Mark, Robyn and Debra, who themselves presented George with nine grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Bruce Waxman is President, Friends of the Odd Bods Association Inc.& Walter Eacott is former President, the Odd Bods Association (UK) Inc.