Memorial

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F/O Harold S. Smith joined the Air Corps of the U.S. Army Reserve in Syracuse, New York on 7 November 1942.

The aircraft was victim of a persisant attack of a ME-262 jet fighter on the tail. It burst into flames between #3 and #4 engines but was not seen to fall apart. It held course for a very few seconds after being hit, then peeled slightly up and then slid over and down to the right through the formation. It appeared at that time to be out of control. A few moments later the airplane blew up and broke up into two main parts and crashed in the Gross Glasow Lake, 20 kilometres northeast of the target. A wing and engine fell in the upper part of the lake and the tail and part of the fuselage came down in the lower part of the lake. The wreckage could be seen at 50 to 150 feet from the shore. One crew member survived and was taken prisoner, eight were killed.

F/O Smith bailed out near Oranienburg, Germany. One of the the crew members saw him kick open the escape hatch and bail out. After the war, he heard from a friend ´Chuck´ who had flown many missions that Intelligence reports explained that he was killed by the Gestapo.