TRIBUTES have been paid to a Chester-born RAF serviceman who died in a road accident in Italy.
Senior Aircraftman James Smart, 22, formerly of The Highway in Hawarden, was part of a 10-vehicle convoy delivering vital equipment to UK forces in Libya when the crash happened last Wednesday afternoon near Vasto in southern Italy.
The former Hawarden High School pupil, who was known as Smarty to his comrades, joined the RAF in 2008 and was posted to 2 (MT) Squadron, based at RAF Wittering, Cambridgeshire.
Between May and September 2010 he served in Afghanistan, and was due to receive his operational medal on Monday.
His parents said ‘no one could have had a better son’.
In a statement the family added: “James was a small man with a big heart. He was a much-loved brother, uncle and friend. He brought joy and happiness to everyone who met him.
“He was proud to serve his country and died doing something he loved.
“He will be sadly missed by all his family and friends, and he has left a big hole in all of our lives.”
After returning from Afghanistan, SAC Smart was deployed to the Falkland Islands between October 2010 and January this year.
Colleagues have described him a ‘a true gentleman’ with ‘an infectious grin’.
Group Captain Richard Hill, the officer in charge of RAF Wittering, said: “Smarty, as he was known to his colleagues, was a dedicated and exceptionally hard-working airman.
“There is no doubt he had a promising career ahead of him in the Royal Air Force.”
Squadron Leader Wayne Tracey added: “He was larger than life in every conceivable way.
“Popular, well-respected and dedicated, he possessed a rare, infectious cheek that often got him out of the most difficult situations.
“He was an exceptional man, a true ambassador for his profession and No 2 MT Squadron is an emptier place without him.”
