The lasting legacy of Stan and Joyce Smith

Former RAF Flight Lieutenant Stan Smith and his wife, former WAAF Pilot Officer Joyce Smith, generously donated £50,000 as a legacy gift in their wills to the RAF Benevolent Fund. We spoke to Stan’s nephew, Ed Smith, about their lives and their decision to leave a significant proportion of their estate to support the RAF Family.

Born in Glasgow in 1927, Flight Lieutenant Stan Smith (MBE RAF) joined the RAF in 1951 and served until 1986. Stan amassed 7,961 hours as a pilot flying B-29, Neptune, Meteor, Vampire, Whirlwind, Belvedere, Wessex, and Puma aircraft operationally on No. 18, 26, 33, 35, 36, 72 and 228 Squadrons.

Stan first met Joyce while both were stationed in Cyprus in 1959. Stan asked if he could take Joyce with him on his next deployment to Libya and despite being told no, he took her anyway – their destiny together was sealed from that point forward and they married shortly afterwards.

Six years Stan’s senior, Pilot Officer Joyce Smith, née Digby, served in the WAAF for three years as a Wireless Operator at HQ Fighter Command during the Second World War. In 1954, Joyce was awarded the Sash of Merit for Best Cadet at her Officer Cadet Training Unit at the WRAF Depot near Folkestone.

Joyce left the WAAF after they got married. Ed Smith, son of Stan’s brother Edgar Smith, reminisces: "I remember going to visit them both and realising how comfortable they were with each other. Joyce was very good at keeping things together and you knew that Stan listened to her. Neither of them had to be the centre of attention; they were a real couple and very good for each other."

Ed continued: "My dad and Stan were both larger than life characters with strong opinions. Stan had a strong voice. People would often joke if he was calling from Germany that he wouldn’t even need a telephone."

Ed had a solid relationship with his uncle; he described him as someone who was always travelling - the 'cool' uncle who travelled to faraway places and typically drove sports cars. Ed said: "Whenever he returned from his travels my dad and uncle Stan would always get together and demolish a bottle of whisky."

Air Marshal Sir Timothy Ivo Jenner (KCB FRAeS), a retired senior RAF commander, read the eulogy at Stan’s funeral. Ed said: "He was talking about the fact that Stan was a fantastic pilot. I mean he apparently had a Tom Cruise level of expertise in an aircraft, but he also had a terrible sense of direction. He would occasionally drop soldiers in the wrong place - which can cause issues. He was a really proficient pilot, but just not the best navigator in the world!"

Stan did a lot of work with the Special Air Service where he garnered the nickname 'Cuddles'. Ed said: "The nickname was very apt because he was a bit of a teddy bear really. Although, he wouldn’t suffer fools gladly as he was always dealing with people’s lives."

Stan became a member of The Goldfish Club after managing to safely ditch his helicopter at sea and his crew of three escaped unharmed.

Ed believes that leaving a legacy gift to the Fund was always destined to be for Stan and Joyce. He said: "You have to give a legacy gift some good thought and if you consider the RAF to be part of your family – it was very much Stan and Joyce’s family – why wouldn’t you do it?"

A gift in your Will is a very special way to always be 'part of the heart' of the RAF Family, and helps the Fund give lifelong support to its people and their loved ones in their time of need. Around half of the Fund’s work is only possible through the kindness of people like Stan and Joyce who generously left gifts in their wills.

Stan’s friend of 20 years, former Master Air Loadmaster Graham Bearham, was part of the helicopter crew that flew with Stan. Graham supported Stan and Joyce in their final years as their nominated Welfare Power of Attorney, looking after them both and generally supporting their wellbeing. Consequently, he was invited to present the legacy gift cheque to Fund Controller, Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot and Fund Director for Scotland, NI and NE England, Gavin Davey, at the Royal Scots Club in Edinburgh.

The loyalty and support shown by Graham is a testament to their RAF days and their lasting friendship together. Ed concludes that the ecosystem and support structure of the RAF is the reason Stan and Joyce wanted their money to go on to support the RAF Family for the future years to come.

You can find out more about how to leave a legacy gift to the RAF Benevolent Fund here.