BERNARD LEWIS SMITH 1886-1947 AKA Barney Smith

Col. Bernard Smith Dear Mr. Cooper,      Many thanks for keeping the memory of these fine individuals alive. Attached to this post please find a portrait of Col. Smith taken later in his career.      My mother was part of Col. Smith's household staff after the war and he was instrumental in helping her emigrate to the United States from Guatemala. She has nothing but kind words to say about him and had saved the photo as a memento after his passing.      Thank you for honoring the man who, without knowing, helped me to be born as an American. Cordially, Peter Collection of Peter J. Hutchison, 7-17-08

 

B. L. Smith, 1913 from Cuba photo

B. L. Smith, 1914 from Pensacola photo

 

NAVAL AVIATION IN 1913      In January, 1913, the naval aviation detachment was transported by a Navy collier to Guantanamo for its first operation with the fleet. The Cuban camp was commanded by Lieutenant Towers, subject to orders from the commander in chief of the fleet. Numerous interesting and practical tests were made of the employment of planes in cooperation with ships and many of the fleet officers became more or less familiar with aviation. At this time several notable flights were made along the Cuban coast and the usefulness of aircraft as scouts in discovering the approach of a distant fleet and in detecting mine fields and submarines were amply and practically demonstrated. With the return of the fleet to the United States after the wimter maneuvers, the aviation detachment was transferred back to Annapolis again and continued under command of J. H. Towers.      In 1913 Lieut. (Junior Grade) J. D. Murray, United States Navy, Second Lieut. William McIlvaine, United States Marine Corps, First Lieutenant A. A. Cunningham, United States Marine Corps, Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Saufley, Lieut. (Junior Grade) M. L. Stolz, and Ensign W. D. Lamont joined the ranks of naval aviators. In June of this year Lieutenant Bellinger hung up a world's seaplane record for altitude by ascending to 6,200 feet in 45 minutes in a Curtiss seaplane. First Lieut. B. L. Smith, United States Marine Corps, by starting from the water, alighting on the land, and then returning to the water, made the first successful flight in an amphibian or combined land an water aircraft in the summer of 1913. This item was extracted from UNITED STATES NAVY DEPARTMENT BUREAU OF AERONAUTICS TECHNICAL NOTE NO. 18, SERIES OF 1930 A HISTORY OF U.S. NAVAL AVIATION BY CAPT. W.H.SITZ, USMC UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1930

 

Naval Aviation Camp, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba Camp personnel, circa January-March 1913, during Naval aviation's first fleet "deployment". Officers present are (left-to-right): Lieutenant(Junior Grade) Patrick N.L. Bellinger, USN; First Lieutenant Bernard L. Smith, USMC; First Lieutenant Alfred A. Cunningham, USMC; Lieutenant John H. Towers, USN; Ensign Victor D. Herbster, USN; Ensign William D. Billingsley, USN; Ensign Godfrey deC. Chevalier, USN. Note goat and dog mascots and canvas hangar with a Curtiss "A" type airplane inside. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation Collection of CommanderTheodore G. Ellyson. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.

 

U.S. NAVY FLYING SCHOOL, PENSACOLA, FL., 1914

By March of 1914 the U.S. Navy had established a flying school at Pensacola, Florida. Among the commissioned officers taking the course that year were the above (left to right); Lieutenant V. D. Herbster, Lieutenant W. M. McIlvain, Lieutenant P. N. L. Bellinger, Lieutenant B. L. Smith, Lieutenant J. H. Towers, Lieutenant Commander H. C. Mustin, Lieutenant (Army) B. L. Smith, Ensign de Chevalier, and Ensign M. L. Stolz. Official U.S. Navy Photograph from The Early Birds by Arch Whitehouse

 

DUNKIRK FIGHTER, 1918 September 18: The HA seaplane or "Dunkirk Fighter," made its first flight at Port Washington, Long Island, with Curtiss pilot Roland Rohlfs at the controls and Captain B. L. Smith occupying the second seat. From Naval Aviation Chronology 1917-1919

 

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES via email from Natalie McGaw, 1-9-08 Dear Mr. Cooper I was surfing around on the internet and happened upon your website in which you asked for information regarding Bernard Lewis Smith. We are not directly related, but he was the second husband of my grandmother, Reine Clark Clune (her first husband, Daniel Clune, was a civil and mining engineer, who died of respiratory problems at an early age.) I was fairly young when Barney Smith died, but remember him as very kind man. His first wife was a bit of a celebrity. Her name was Madame Marguerite Sylva, (AKA Marguerita Sylva). They had two children, both girls--I've never been able to locate them. Marguerite was born in Brussels. They must have met in Paris where she was an opera singer. She spent time in New York and ended up in California--died in Glendale. She was featured on the Ralph Edwards TV show, "This Is Your Life". Some of the tapes of that show are still available--unfortunately, not hers, as many of them were not properly preserved. Information about Bernard L. Smith can be found on the website Early Birds of Aviation and several others. He was serving as Naval Attache' for Air in Guatemala, when then wife Reine began having heart problems and became ill. He brought her home to Miami in 1946 and they stayed for a while at my mother's home in Coral Gables during which time she died. Barney Smith died the following year when his car collided with a train at the intersection of US 1 and LeJuene Road in Coral Gables. He was driving to my aunt's house at night--windows up because of rain--and did not see or hear the train. A sad end for a man who was a true gentleman, accomplished so much and survived the many risks of early aviation. It is probable that he is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, located on Eighth Street in Miami, Florida, but I am not sure of that. Natalie McGaw

 

MAJOR BERNARD L. SMITH, U.S.M.C. WITH LT. COMDR. RICHARD E. BYRD. TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT 1919 Library of Congress Collection, 11-7-10

 

ONLINE RESOURCES      If you search for "B.L. Smith +aviation", using the Google search engine, (6-3-04), you will find about 72 links. Perhaps the most helpful is the following.

 

Biographies of Aeromarine personalities      This section of the Aeromarine website offers several biographies of the men associated with Aeromarine including Bernard Lewis Smith. This biography, was compiled/written by Björn Larsson, March 2004, based on material provided by Daniel Krusrow and is perhaps the most interesting and comprehensive bio available online. You can access the page by clicking on the title above. You may want to use the "FIND" function on Smith to find the location of the entry.      In addition to the bio for Smith, you will find equally informative bios on Harry Bruno, Edwin C. Musick, Charles F. Redden, Inglis M. Uppercu, Cyrus J. Zimmermann and Paul G. Zimmermann on the same page. If time permits, I suggest that you click on "HOME" and enjoy the rest of the Aeromarine story which is fascinating in its own right.

 

REQUEST FOR HELP via email from Renee (nee Clark)Reinke, 4-18-07 Hi Ralph:      I am doing genealogy research on Reinette Clark Smith the 2nd wife of Barney. Reinette supposedly was in Panama with Barney in the late 1940's when she became gravely ill. Barney brought her back to the States then. Reinette died in 1947. Some family members say she died in Cleveland, Ohio and her remains were then taken to Florida. I have not been able to locate either Barney or Reinette in cemeteries there. Do you have any information on where Barney is buried? Reinette is my 2nd Great Aunt. Renee (nee Clark)Reinke

 

"B. L."Barney" Smith was killed when his car collided with a train in Coral Gables, FL, on February 2, 1947. from Biographies of Aeromarine personalities   Editor's Note: If you have any information on this Early Bird, please contact me. E-mail to Ralph Cooper   Back