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name
SMITH, Edward Shepard - Date of
birth
16 October 1924 -
Age
19 - Place of
birth
Hartford, Hartford County, Connecticut -
Hometown
Hartford County, Connecticut
Personal info
Military service
- Service
number
31326926 -
Rank
Technical Sergeant -
Function
Radio Operator -
Unit
614th Bombardment Squadron,
401st Bombardment Group, Heavy
-
Awards
Purple Heart,
Air Medal
Death
-
Status
Finding of Death - Date of
death
24 August 1944 - Place of
death
Brockhoefe, 20 km west of Uelsen, Germany
Grave
-
Cemetery
American War Cemetery Ardennes
| Plot | Row | Grave |
|---|---|---|
| D | 5 | 15 |
Immediate family
-
Members
Lyman E. Smith (father)
Jesia H. Smith (mother)
Doris Smith (sister)
Plane data
- Serial
number
42-102394 -
Data
Type: B-17G
Nickname: Down N Go
Destination: Weimar, Germany
Mission: Operational Bombing
MACR: 8202
More information
T/Sgt Edward S. Smith attended Hillyer Junior College.He enlisted in Hartford, Connecticut, on 4 March 1943.
A/C 42-102394 was attacked by enemy fighters. The A/C was shot on fire and went into a dive, losing about 8,000 to 10,000 feet in altitude, then leveled off, and flames enveloped the A/C. The aircraft then blew up.
Of the nine-man crew, three were able to bail out in time, while another three, the tail and waist gunners, were blown clear of the ship. The remaining three men, among them T/Sgt Edward S. Smith, are believed to have been killed in the fighter attacks. Surviving crew member reports indicate that the radio room was hit by 20 mm shells and was burning badly shortly after the beginning of the attack.
Source of information: Luc van der Sterren, Terry Hirsch, www.abmc.gov, www.archives.gov - WWII Enlistment Record, www.wwiimemorial.com, www.8thafhs.com, www.fold3.com – MACR, www.ancestry.com – 1940 Census, WWII Draft Card
Photo source: Jac Engels, www.remember-our-heroes.nl - Andy Swinnen