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Personal info

Full name
SCHMID, Frank F
Date of birth
24 September 1913
Age
30
Place of birth
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois
Hometown
Cook County, Illinois

Military service

Service number
36042420
Rank
Staff Sergeant
Function
Top Turret Gunner/Engineer
Unit
579th Bombardment Squadron,
392nd Bombardment Group, Heavy
Awards
Purple Heart

Death

Status
Killed in Action
Date of death
7 July 1944
Place of death
Two km south of Egeln, Germany

Grave

Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
Plot Row Grave
C 24 9

Immediate family

Members
Frank J. Schmid (father)
Frieda Schmid (mother)
Rudolph A. Schmid (brother)

More information

Sgt Schmid was badly wounded at the time of his bail out. He was buried in the village cemetery at Egeln.
Lt Pounds, the Pilot, later gave a report on the downing: that they were hit by German fighters right after bomb release, altitude 24,000 feet, and his plane fell out of formation at 0937 hours; that the ship was set afire in the bombbays from ruptured gasoline lines, and when he gave the bail out order, the flight deck was filled with smoke. He continued: "I was unable to see more than a few feet and so have no knowledge of Charles Kochenash (Radio Operator) or Frank Fisher (Co-Pilot). The aircraft exploded as I left my seat and the concussion threw me around the flight deck and I came to rest near the blown out top hatch, and I bailed from the plane. There wasn’t a chance for me to check on those two before bail out".

He continued by noting that the Navigator and Bombardier had egressed through the nose wheel hatch and the other survivors had gone through the aft hatch in the tail section and that he had no knowledge relating to the Engineer’s fate. He did note that the latter crewman was found dead in the wreckage, but could not elaborate further.

Another survivor, Sgt Phillips, in another later casualty report stated that German interrogators had told him that three of the crew had been killed, but how or where, he did not know.

No other details were filed in this MACR.


Source of information: Peter Schouteten, Terry Hirsch,www.B24.net, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.archives.gov, WWII Draft Card

Photo source: www.findagrave.com, Peter Schouteten