Dallas Schmidt Drive was dedicated by the Canada Lands Company on January 23, 2018, as part of their redevelopment of Edmonton’s former Canadian Forces Base (Griesbach Barracks).
Flying Officer Schmidt was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross during the Second World War for his service overseas. On his first sortie he shot down an Italian aircraft. In September of 1942, he obtained a hit with a heavy bomb on an enemy merchant vessel which subsequently sank. A few days later he attacked a destroyer, in a convoy, with gunfire. In spite of intense opposition he pressed his attack causing an explosion behind part of the ship's gun positions, which probably indicated hits on a magazine.
After being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, he completed many sorties. In an engagement in November 1942, he destroyed two Junkers 52 and assisted in the destruction of a Dornier 24. His aircraft was hit in some thirty places by return fire and the port engine was set alight, but he succeeded in extinguishing the flames and flew the damaged aircraft to base, landing it safely in difficult circumstances. Some days later he shot down a Junkers 52 and shortly afterwards he destroyed a Fiat CR.42 in attacks on enemy shipping.
Shot down on five occasions, Dallas managed to crash-land on Malta four times and baled out once. On one occasion he saved the life of Pilot Officer J.F. Briffet, an observer whose Beaufighter was forced to ditch in the sea. The aircraft sank with the loss of the pilot on October 4, 1942, but Dallas spotted Briffet struggling in the sea and threw down his own dinghy, tied to his ‘Mae West’ life jacket. Briffet, who was unhurt, managed to swim to the dinghy and scrambled aboard to await rescue.