THE remains of a World War II pilot, discovered in the wreckage of his shot-down Spitfire, have been identified as Royal Australian Air Force Flight Lieutenant Henry Lacy Smith.

Smith was lost to enemy anti-aircraft fire on June 11, 1944, while flying a patrol in support of the allied invasion of Europe.

The RAAF has contacted surviving relatives living in Australia and arrangements are under way for the re-interment of his remains with full military honours.

"I am very pleased to know that the remains of this brave pilot have now been accounted for and can now finally be laid to rest," Veterans Affairs Minister Warren Snowdon said. "Finding Flight Lieutenant Smith after over 66 years is an outstanding result for all concerned, particularly the family."

Smith, of Kogarah, in NSW, was a member of the RAAF's 453 Squadron which, at the time, was operating in support of the D-Day landings.

On D-Day, June 6, 453 Squadron aircraft flew 43 sorties, providing fighter cover over the beaches and on June 11 began operating from a temporary landing strip in the invasion area.

"That night, a unit Spitfire on night patrol over the beaches was hit by anti-aircraft fire near Ouistrehain and force-landed in a channel, with the pilot being killed when it overturned," according to a history of Australian squadrons The RAAF and the Flying Squadrons by Norman Barnes.

Smith's final radio message to his comrades was: "I'm going to put this thing down in a field".

Mr Snowdon said the RAAF began the identification process in November when local museum curators recovered the wreckage of a spitfire containing human remains in the Orne Estuary, near Ouistrehain, Normandy.

There was sufficient evidence to enable the positive identification of Smith.

That included the aircraft engine serial number, the reports of the other two pilots flying with Smith at the time, plus a wartime casualty report linking the aircraft tail number, engine serial number and pilot details.

Smith will be reinterred in a Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in France, in accordance with normal practice for recovered remains, on a date to be fixed.

Originally published as Dead WWII pilot an Australian