Jacob Naude Smith

- Jacob won a Gold medal for SA ( boxing flyweight) at the first ever Commonwealth Empire games in Canada in 1930. During the WW2 , Jacob was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. (31SQN). Jacob was the pilot in the first commercial airline crash in South Africa in 1947

He was born July 19, 1911 in Brandfort, Free State. His parents were Matthys Gerhardus Smith and Elizabeth Catharina Smith (Naude). Jacob's brother was the well known Afrikaans author of the Trompie and Saartjie children's books .... Mathys Gerhardus Smith (Topsy). In 1930 Jacob represented South Africa at Commonwealth Empire games in Canada. The 18 year old flyweight who the previous year had boxed as a junior, caused one of the biggest upsets when he scored a narrow points decision over Tim Pardoe of England in the final to win a gold medal. He was also known as "Babe Smith" in the boxing world. He was experienced, too, in bad-weather flying - he had recently flown from London to Athens entirely in cloud at 1 000 feet. On 15 May 1948 Jacob, on his way to Palmietfontein airport, crashed his Douglas DC-3-455 (registration ZS-BWY) into the Spitzkop mountain near Memel in the OFS. There were 13 fatalities including his wife Maria Elizabeth Smith (Mitchel). Jacob and Maria left behind 5 children all under the age of 13. All five children have since passed away before their time from a variety of ailments.

Any information on any of the abovementioned will be appreciated, particularly photo's from his flying days during and after the war http://www.dc-3.co.za/dc-3-south-african-operators/mercury-airways....