William Franklin Smith Jr
Military
Fold3.com
Object Number - UPL 25551 - William Franklin Smith, Jr.
Col. Smith was the Deputy Commanding Officer of the 457th BG. He had flown 500 combat hours over Europe as lead pilot and aircraft commander from the first mission of the 457th BG/on Feb 21 '44 through the last on April 20, '45. The last mission was Col. Smith's 19th as Group Air Commander. He was pilot of the B-25 that flew into the Empire State Bldg. in a blinding fog.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Latham, Baldwin County, Alabama, USA | 3 June 1918 | |
|
Died |
New York, New York, USA | 28 July 1945 | |
|
Buried |
Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA | Elmwood Cemetery |
Revisions
Added Born and Buried events per Find-a-grave Memorial ID 17867033.
SOURCE: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17867033/william-franklin-smith
Updated the location of the Died event per info in the "Summary biography".
1993 457th BGA Roster; Flak Dodger by Roland Byers, The Sky is Falling by Arthur Weingarten / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia
