U.S. Army Service No. (ASN): #34582959
Enlistment Date: 11/30/1942 at Fort McClellan, Alabama
755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, Heavy
Richard B. Smith is listed as Killed In Action in the 1946 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel Casualty List for St. Clair County, Alabama.
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 lists his residence as Barber's Store, Eden, St. Clair County, Alabama with mailing address of Pell City, Alabama. Contact person listed as Mrs. M. B. Smith, Route 1, Trussville, Alabama. Place of birth listed as Ashville, St. Clair County, Alabama on 02/14/1921. Middle name listed as Birl. Employed by Paul Erwin, Avondale Mills, Pell City, St. Clair County, Alabama as of 02/16/1942 registration date.
U.S., National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962 lists World War II Deceased returned from Varois-Dijon, France. Re-interred on May 18th, 1948. Buried next to him in Section E, 6331-B is his brother, Roland H. Smith, who was also re-interred on 05/18/1948.
Information below gleaned from B-24 Liberator (42-50954) Memorial: https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=31514
Richard B. Smith was born on February 14, 1921. He served in the 755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner on the B-24 #42-50954 during World War II.
On January 16, 1945, at 08:03h, his crew took off from Horsham St. Field to bomb the Krupp steel works in Magdeburg, France. When they reached the area, their plane was hit between engines 3 and 4 by a flak battery of 6-inch shells. The pilot tried to rejoin his formation, but, running out of fuel, gave the order to evacuate over Fontenailles (N of Andryes). All members were able to evacuate, but SSgt Smith's parachute did not open, causing his death. His body was first buried in the Dijols cemetery before being transferred. Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net, www.caffrenchwing.fr
***I would like to thank WAK Find A Grave ID 47327061 for adding their photos to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Marilyn Smith Find A Grave ID 47122227 for adding her gravesite photo to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Ryan Dixon Find A Grave ID 50052016 for updating the birth/death location information on this memorial in addition to linking his parents to it***
Enlistment Date: 11/30/1942 at Fort McClellan, Alabama
755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, Heavy
Richard B. Smith is listed as Killed In Action in the 1946 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel Casualty List for St. Clair County, Alabama.
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 lists his residence as Barber's Store, Eden, St. Clair County, Alabama with mailing address of Pell City, Alabama. Contact person listed as Mrs. M. B. Smith, Route 1, Trussville, Alabama. Place of birth listed as Ashville, St. Clair County, Alabama on 02/14/1921. Middle name listed as Birl. Employed by Paul Erwin, Avondale Mills, Pell City, St. Clair County, Alabama as of 02/16/1942 registration date.
U.S., National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962 lists World War II Deceased returned from Varois-Dijon, France. Re-interred on May 18th, 1948. Buried next to him in Section E, 6331-B is his brother, Roland H. Smith, who was also re-interred on 05/18/1948.
Information below gleaned from B-24 Liberator (42-50954) Memorial: https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=31514
Richard B. Smith was born on February 14, 1921. He served in the 755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner on the B-24 #42-50954 during World War II.
On January 16, 1945, at 08:03h, his crew took off from Horsham St. Field to bomb the Krupp steel works in Magdeburg, France. When they reached the area, their plane was hit between engines 3 and 4 by a flak battery of 6-inch shells. The pilot tried to rejoin his formation, but, running out of fuel, gave the order to evacuate over Fontenailles (N of Andryes). All members were able to evacuate, but SSgt Smith's parachute did not open, causing his death. His body was first buried in the Dijols cemetery before being transferred. Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net, www.caffrenchwing.fr
***I would like to thank WAK Find A Grave ID 47327061 for adding their photos to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Marilyn Smith Find A Grave ID 47122227 for adding her gravesite photo to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Ryan Dixon Find A Grave ID 50052016 for updating the birth/death location information on this memorial in addition to linking his parents to it***
U.S. Army Service No. (ASN): #34582959
Enlistment Date: 11/30/1942 at Fort McClellan, Alabama
755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, Heavy
Richard B. Smith is listed as Killed In Action in the 1946 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel Casualty List for St. Clair County, Alabama.
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 lists his residence as Barber's Store, Eden, St. Clair County, Alabama with mailing address of Pell City, Alabama. Contact person listed as Mrs. M. B. Smith, Route 1, Trussville, Alabama. Place of birth listed as Ashville, St. Clair County, Alabama on 02/14/1921. Middle name listed as Birl. Employed by Paul Erwin, Avondale Mills, Pell City, St. Clair County, Alabama as of 02/16/1942 registration date.
U.S., National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962 lists World War II Deceased returned from Varois-Dijon, France. Re-interred on May 18th, 1948. Buried next to him in Section E, 6331-B is his brother, Roland H. Smith, who was also re-interred on 05/18/1948.
Information below gleaned from B-24 Liberator (42-50954) Memorial: https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=31514
Richard B. Smith was born on February 14, 1921. He served in the 755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner on the B-24 #42-50954 during World War II.
On January 16, 1945, at 08:03h, his crew took off from Horsham St. Field to bomb the Krupp steel works in Magdeburg, France. When they reached the area, their plane was hit between engines 3 and 4 by a flak battery of 6-inch shells. The pilot tried to rejoin his formation, but, running out of fuel, gave the order to evacuate over Fontenailles (N of Andryes). All members were able to evacuate, but SSgt Smith's parachute did not open, causing his death. His body was first buried in the Dijols cemetery before being transferred. Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net, www.caffrenchwing.fr
***I would like to thank WAK Find A Grave ID 47327061 for adding their photos to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Marilyn Smith Find A Grave ID 47122227 for adding her gravesite photo to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Ryan Dixon Find A Grave ID 50052016 for updating the birth/death location information on this memorial in addition to linking his parents to it***
Enlistment Date: 11/30/1942 at Fort McClellan, Alabama
755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, Heavy
Richard B. Smith is listed as Killed In Action in the 1946 Army and Army Air Forces Personnel Casualty List for St. Clair County, Alabama.
U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947 lists his residence as Barber's Store, Eden, St. Clair County, Alabama with mailing address of Pell City, Alabama. Contact person listed as Mrs. M. B. Smith, Route 1, Trussville, Alabama. Place of birth listed as Ashville, St. Clair County, Alabama on 02/14/1921. Middle name listed as Birl. Employed by Paul Erwin, Avondale Mills, Pell City, St. Clair County, Alabama as of 02/16/1942 registration date.
U.S., National Cemetery Interment Control Forms, 1928-1962 lists World War II Deceased returned from Varois-Dijon, France. Re-interred on May 18th, 1948. Buried next to him in Section E, 6331-B is his brother, Roland H. Smith, who was also re-interred on 05/18/1948.
Information below gleaned from B-24 Liberator (42-50954) Memorial: https://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=31514
Richard B. Smith was born on February 14, 1921. He served in the 755th Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group, as a Staff Sergeant and Tail Gunner on the B-24 #42-50954 during World War II.
On January 16, 1945, at 08:03h, his crew took off from Horsham St. Field to bomb the Krupp steel works in Magdeburg, France. When they reached the area, their plane was hit between engines 3 and 4 by a flak battery of 6-inch shells. The pilot tried to rejoin his formation, but, running out of fuel, gave the order to evacuate over Fontenailles (N of Andryes). All members were able to evacuate, but SSgt Smith's parachute did not open, causing his death. His body was first buried in the Dijols cemetery before being transferred. Source of information: www.findagrave.com, francecrashes39-45.net, www.caffrenchwing.fr
***I would like to thank WAK Find A Grave ID 47327061 for adding their photos to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Marilyn Smith Find A Grave ID 47122227 for adding her gravesite photo to this memorial***
***I would like to thank Ryan Dixon Find A Grave ID 50052016 for updating the birth/death location information on this memorial in addition to linking his parents to it***
Inscription
RICHARD B
SMITH
ALABAMA
STAFF SGT
AIR CORPS
WORLD WAR II
FEBRUARY 14 1921
JANUARY 16 1945
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Siblings
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