Thomas B Bone

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-19365.jpeg UPL 19365 "Lt. Eldon J Smith and crew of the 322nd Bomb Sqn, 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, pose beside a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. 16 August 1943, England".
- 16 August 1943: the 323rd Bomb Sqn, 91st BG supplied 4 birds for a mission to bomb Le Bourget airport. 2 miles short of the French coast, Lt Eldon J Smith & crew, flying B-17F 42-3213 "All American" (coded OR-M) had an explosion aboard their aircraft. Turning back for England, they were forced to ditch 4 miles from land; air-sea rescue quickly retrieved them. They pose here with a life raft and what may be B-17F 42-3079 (coded OR-X), a "no-name" Fortress obtained from the 95th BG.

NARA Ref# 342-FH-3A10546-62742AC.

Object Number - UPL 19365 - "Lt. Eldon J Smith and crew of the 322nd Bomb Sqn, 91st Bomb Group, 8th Air Force, pose beside a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress. 16 August 1943,...

Assigned to 323BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF. Ditched in North Sea due to mechanical failure in B-17 42-3213 16-Aug-43. Returned to base. Shot down 16-Sep-43 in B-17 42-3079. Killed in Action (KIA). MACR 550



Awards: AM (OLC), PH.

Connections

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Units served with

Unofficial emblem of the 91st Bomb Group.
  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Eighth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron 335th Bomb Squadron 412th Bomb Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
  • Nicknames: All American
  • Unit: 91st Bomb Group 95th Bomb Group 323rd Bomb Squadron 335th Bomb Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Enlisted

Fort McPherson, Atlanta, GA, USA 16 January 1941 Fort McPherson Atlanta Georgia, USA.

Other

Ditched

North Sea 16 August 1943 Ditched in North Sea due to mechanical failure on 16 August 1943. RTD.

Died

Saint-Nazaire, France 16 September 1943 Shot down 16 Sept 43 in B-17 42-3079. Killed in Action (KIA).
Dickson, TN, USA

Buried

Rhone American Cemetery and Memorial Rhone American Cemetery, Draguignan, France. Plot A Row 4 Grave 13

Born

Tennessee, USA

Based

Bassingbourn 16 September 1943 Assigned to 323BS, 91BG, 8AF USAAF.

Revisions

Date
Contributorjmoore43
Changes
Sources

Added a "-" to 2 A/C serial numbers in the "Summary biography" for clarity.

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 550 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Roll of Honor; MACR 550

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