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name
SMITH, William Winslow "Win" - Date of
birth
24 October 1920 -
Age
22 - Place of
birth
Orange, Essex County, New Jersey -
Hometown
Cook County, Illinois
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
O-794589 -
Rank
First Lieutenant -
Function
Pilot -
Unit
571st Bombardment Squadron,
390th Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters
Death
-
Status
Killed in Action - Date of
death
10 October 1943 - Place of
death
Isendorf near Emsdetten, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| B | 18 | 15 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Herbert W. Smith (father)
May K. (Chapman) Smith (mother)
Abby E. Smith (sister)
Elizabeth C. Smith (sister)
Hardin Smith (brother)
Eleanor (Greene) Smith (wife)
Eleanor Smith (daughter)
Winslow Smith (son)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-3426 -
Data
Type: B-17F
Nickname: Kemy II
Destination: Münster, Germany
Mission: Bombing
MACR: 864
More information
1st Lt William W. Smith graduated from Harvard University in 1942.He enlisted in the Air Corps in January 1942 and was sent overseas in July 1943
A/C 42-3426 was hit by flak. Seven crew members bailed out safely before the ship exploded and ended up POW. Surviving crew member reports indicate that the aircraft was erratic due to a damaged rudder and that pilot and co-pilot were fighting to keep the plane from going into a spin, enabling the other crew members to bail out. The ship exploded just after the 7th man had bailed out, killing both pilot and co-pilot.
At the time of his death, his wife Eleanor was 6 months pregnant with their first children, girl-boy twins whom she named "Eleanor" and "Winslow".
Source of information: Terry Hirsch, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, www.8thafhs.com, www.fold3.com - MACR
Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Christy Johnson, Harvard University 1942