Donald Edson Smith

Military ROLL OF HONOUR

Joined RAFVR, assigned to 121S, transferred to 555FTS 496FTG, transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF, shot down in P-51 44-13563 while strafing when his section was bounced by 50+ Me-109’s and FW-190’s. Last seen just as the enemy aircraft attacked. Killed in Action (KIA) crashed near La Ferte. 18-Aug-44.

Awards: AM (OLC), PH, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

335th Fighter Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

4th Fighter Group

Unit Hierarchy: Group
Air Force: Eighth Air Force
Type Category: Fighter

No 121 'Eagle' Squadron

Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
Type Category: Fighter

Aircraft

43-6897

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Nicknames: Winnie the Pooh! See me later
Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron

44-13563

Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
Unit: 4th Fighter Group 335th Fighter Squadron

Missions

VIII Fighter Command

Date: 19 August 1942
Official Description:

Places

Pilot Officer Kenneth Le Roy Holder stands on the shoulders of Pilot Officer Donald William McLeod to reach out for an American flag flying from a flag pole. A group of American airmen look on. They wear the insignia of the RAF Eagle Squadrons, the forerunners of the squadrons of the 4th Fighter Group. Passed for publication on 27 November 1941. Printed caption on reverse: 'Pilot Officer Kenneth Le Roy Holder from Buena Park, California, stands on the shoulders of Pilot Officer Donald William McLeod from

Biggin Hill

Site type: Airfield

Debden

Site type: Airfield

Events

Event	Location	Date	Description
Born	Mount Kisco, NY	13 December 1923	Son of Albert E Smith.
Other E/A damaged	Dieppe, France	19 August 1942	Damaged Fw190 over Dieppe.
Other Transferred	Goxhill, Barrow-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire DN19, UK	15 September 1942	Transferred to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF.
Other Crashed	Goxhill, Barrow-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire DN19, UK	31 May 1944	Taxiing accident Goxhill/Sta 345 P-51C 42-103007, Cat 3 damage, 31-5-44.
Other Crashed	Goxhill, Barrow-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire DN19, UK	7 June 1944	Taxiing accident Goxhill/Sta 345 P-51B 43-12210, Cat 5 damage, 7-6-44.
Other Transferred	Debden, Saffron Walden, Essex CB11, UK	18 June 1944 - 18 August 1944	Transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF.
Other Killed in action	La Ferté, France	18 August 1944	Killed in Action (KIA) crashed near La Ferte in P-51 44-13563. MACR 8146.
Killed in Action (KIA)	Stratford, CT		Employed by Vought Sikorsky Aircraft Division at time of draft registraion.
Buried	Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial		Re-Interred Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial Colleville-sur-Mer, France Plot A Row 22 Grave 34
Other Joined RAFVR	Canada		Joined Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
Based Assigned	Kirton-in-Lindsey	15 September 1942	Assigned to 121 [Eagle] Sqn RAF.

Revisions

Date16 Nov 2021 21:09:06

ContributorAl_Skiff

Changes

Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/673635056
https://catalog.archives.gov/id/143845848
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56650113/donald-edson-smith

Date8 Jun 2016 10:34:59

Contributorgeneral ira snapsorter

Changes

Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- MACR 8145 ;
- Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database

Date26 Feb 2016 20:03:45

ContributorAl_Skiff

Changes

Sources

EAGLES of the RAF - The World War II Eagle Squadrons by Phillip D Caine.
http://www.uswarmemorials.org/html/people_details.php?PeopleID=3642
http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/335_s…

Date2 Nov 2015 19:52:17

ContributorAl_Skiff

Changes

Sources

Date2 Nov 2015 19:02:25

ContributorAl_Skiff

Changes

Sources

http://www.4thfightergroupassociation.org/uploads/8/2/0/3/8203817/335_s…

Date27 Sep 2014 18:07:29

ContributorAAM

Changes

Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 8146 / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list