Kenneth Guy Smith
MilitaryCaptain 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
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Fighter
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Type Category: Fighter
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 21 March 1944
Places
- Site type: Airfield
- Site type: Airfield
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
NARA WWII POW Records
WWII Draft Card
MACR 3381
NARA Captured German Records : J-727 at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/131494605
Personal research & 4th Fighter Group 'Debden Eagles' by Chris Bucholtz.
Personal research & 'Eighty-One Aces of the 4th Fighter Group' by Frank Speer.
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