Kenneth Guy Smith

Military
media-18822.jpeg UPL 18822 Capt Kenneth G Smith 335th FS, 4th FG, 8AF USAAF former 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF Spitfire pilot.

Object Number - UPL 18822 - Capt Kenneth G Smith 335th FS, 4th FG, 8AF USAAF former 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF Spitfire pilot.

Captain Smith was from Boise, Idaho, and was born 8 June 1914. He attended the College of Idaho, then worked for the Idaho Power Co. About 1941 he moved to California. He joined the Army Aviation Cadet programme, but left abruptly and was accepted by the Clayton Knight Committee. He received his flight training and was commissioned 19 January 1942, assigned to 121 (Eagle) Squadron RAF. He then was transferred to the 4th Fighter Group, 335th Fighter Squadron as they were organising in October 1942.

He had accumulated five enemy aircraft victories when, on a "Rhubarb" mission to the Bordeaux area of France on 21 March 1944, while strafing the Caen-Carpiquet airfield in P-51B #43-6803, he was shot down by Flak and crashed in Tailleville, 14km North of the Caen-Carpiquet airdrome. (German captured cocument J-727 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/131494605). Prisoner of War (POW).

Subsequently it was learned that he had been badly burned about his face and a German surgeon did an excellent plastic reconstruction of everything but his eyebrows. He was adamant in refusing an operation on his eyebrows; he said "No German eyebrows, I'll wait and get American eyebrows". While recuperating he was an orderly in Dulag Luft and received proper treatment.

Upon return he stayed in the Air Force, was promoted to Major in 1947 and became CO of 37th Fighter Squadron, at the then Dow Army Air Field in Bangor, Maine.

On 20 October 1947, he had taken a group of pilots on an aerobatics training mission. The formation climbed to 18,500 feet and did some climbing turns, but something went wrong for Ken Smith, who couldn’t pull his P-47 44-89399 out of a flat spin. He remained at the controls to avoid crashing into a populated area near Searsport, Maine. His Thunderbolt crashed in the Mill Stream and Kenneth Smith was killed on impact.



Awards: DFC (3OLC), AM (2OLC), PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME (2 x Battle Stars).

Connections

See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.

Units served with

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-47 Thunderbolt
  • Nicknames: Mark I
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron

Missions

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Boise, ID 8 July 1914

Enlisted

Los Angeles, CA 7 July 1941 Los Angeles, California

Other

Service pilot training

Bakersfield, CA, USA 29 November 1941 - 7 December 1941 Service pilot training.

Other

Shipped overseas

Merseyside, UK 9 January 1942 Shipped overseas to ETO. Commissioned P/O.

Other

Advanced flight training

Hullavington, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14, UK 7 May 1942 - 22 May 1942 Advanced flight training at 9 AFU Course 13. Tiger Moths and Magisters.

Other

Operational training

Grangemouth, Falkirk, UK 28 May 1942 - 14 August 1942 Operational training at 58 OTU. Masters, Magisters and Hurricane.

Other

Assigned

Kirton in Lindsey, Gainsborough, North Lincolnshire DN21, UK 20 August 1942 - 24 September 1942 Assigned to 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF.

Other

Transferred

Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK 14 October 1942 - 21 March 1944 Transferred to 335th FS, 4th FG, 8th AF USAAF.

Other

Promoted

Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK 1 March 1943 Promoted to 1st Lieutenant.

Other

Promoted

Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK 23 April 1943 Promoted to Captain Designated Flight Commander A Flight 19-1-44.

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Wetzlar, Germany 21 March 1944 wounded, he was captured and hospitalized in France before further interrogation at Dulag Luft Wetzlar-Klosterwald. While recuperating from his injuries he was an orderly there. NARA WWII POW records : "Returned to Military Control 10 November 1944.” This might mean that Kenneth Smith was repatriated to the US in a Prisoner Exchange Program...

Other

Shot down

Caen, France 21 March 1944 Shot down while strafing the Caen-Carpiquet airfield and crashed at Tailleville, 14km North of the Caen-Carpiquet airdrome on 21 March 1944 in P-51 43-6803.

Died

Searsport, ME, USA 20 October 1947 Killed in plane crash - see biography.
Boise, ID Boise, Idaho, USA
Los Angeles, CA Los Angeles, California

Buried

Morris Hill Cemetery, Boise, Ada County, ID Kenneth Smith rests at the Morris Hill Cemetery in Boise, Ada County, Idaho

Revisions

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

Add,ed 4th FG and associated MEDIA

Date
ContributorED-BB
Changes
Sources

NARA WWII POW Records
WWII Draft Card
MACR 3381
NARA Captured German Records : J-727 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/131494605

Date
Contributorapollo11
Changes
Sources

Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.

Date
Contributorapollo11
Changes
Sources

Personal research & 'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th Fighter Group' by Frank Speer.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 3381 / MACR 3381, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Kenneth Guy Smith: Gallery (5 items)