Date:	Saturday 11 April 1942
Time:	day
Type:	Boulton Paul Defiant Mk I
Owner/operator:	410 (Cougar) Sqn RCAF
Registration:	N3503
MSN:	432
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Aberlady Bay, between Aberlady and Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Drem, East Lothian
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Boulton Paul Defiant N3503, 410 (Cougar) Squadron RCAF: Written off (destroyed) 11 April 1942. Crashed on familiarization flight. Crashed in sea at Aberlady Bay, between Aberlady and Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. The aircraft submerged immediately (did not float) and both crew were killed.

Crew:
Sgt (R/92555) Roderick Giles SMITH (pilot, aged 22) RCAF - killed on active service 11 April 1942
Sgt (1387905) Alan Gordon MACKINNON (Air Gunner) RAFVR - killed on active service 11 April 1942

As no trace was ever found of Defiant N3503 or its two crew, the two crew members are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Aberlady Bay in East Lothian, Scotland lies between Aberlady and Gullane

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft N1000-N9999 (James j Halley, Air Britain 1977 p 20)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/13394: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17206031
3. ORB for 410 (Cougar) Squadron RCAF for March 1942: National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/1802/18: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8403355
4. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1807569/roderick-giles-smith/
5. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1079537/alan-gordon-mackinnon/
6. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/serials/details.php?uniq=N3503
7. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/military/Crashes_in_IOM_Scotland_and_NI.pdf
8. https://www.bombercommandmuseumarchives.ca/canadaairwar/canadaairwar1942.pdf
9. http://www.rafweb.org/Members%20Pages/Casualties/1940s/1942/Casualties_1942_04-4.htm
10. https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/1807569
11. https://www.rcafassociation.ca/heritage/history/fallen-aviators/rcaf-casualties-second-world-war/smith-to-stevenson/
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/410_Tactical_Fighter_Operational_Training_Squadron#Second_World_War
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Drem#Units_and_aircraft
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberlady_Bay

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
04-Feb-2008 23:40	JINX	Added
07-Feb-2010 10:15	NePa	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Narrative]
30-Jan-2012 08:08	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Narrative]
12-Oct-2013 16:22	JINX	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Narrative]
01-Nov-2013 19:48	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
04-Jun-2022 10:26	Nepa	Updated [Location, Phase, Narrative, Operator]