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Smith, Luther Earl

Individual Personnel Data
Name Smith, Luther Earl, "Smitty"   ‡
⇗
Rank Sergeant / Staff Sergeant
Serial Number 11097586   ‡
Unit Assignments Assigned to the 547th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #143, Extract, dated 17 November 1943, effective 17 November 1943.
Duty Ball Turret Gunner
MOS612 - Airplane Armorer / Gunner
Last Duty Date 22 February 1944
Results Prisoner Of War
POW Camp: Bad Sulze Hospital (Serves Stalag 9-C) Bad Sulze Saxe-Weimar 51-11
Additional Information
  • Date of Birth: 19 February 1923
  • Wounded on final mission - lost right hand.
  • Promoted to Staff Sergeant per AAF Station 106 Special Orders #3 dated 4 January 1944.
Related Documents Missing Air Crew Report # 2465⇓ (16.916 MB)
2011 Veteran's History Project Oral History Interview⇗
Photos of this Veteran signing the Wing PanelSmith Signing⇗
Photo Album:Crew Photo Album⇗
Crew Composition When Assigned to the 384th BG
Replacement Combat Crew
CREWMEMBER POSITION RESULTS
2nd Lt. DeFrees, Norman Francis⇗PilotPOW
2nd Lt. Hunt, George Sylvester⇗Co-pilotPOW
2nd Lt. Moody, Ivan Everett⇗NavigatorPOW
2nd Lt. Miller, Ellis Leroy⇗BombardierPOW
S/SGT. Wright, William Clifford⇗Radio Operator / GunnerPOW
S/SGT. Moore, Lloyd Welch Ace⇗Engineer / Top Turret GunnerPOW
SGT. Smith, Luther Earl, "Smitty"Ball Turret GunnerPOW
SGT. Kushner, Jack (NMI), "Kush"⇗Tail GunnerPOW
SGT. Ecker, John Erie⇗Flexible GunnerPOW
SGT. Hallam, Harley Ross⇗Flexible GunnerPOW
Missions, Aircraft, Crews
This individual was credited with 14 Combat Missions.
Number Date Target Position Aircraft Mission/Sortie Information
42⇗ 13 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37793⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group.
Sortie Report⇗
43⇗ 16 December 1943 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Bremen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37793⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
45⇗ 22 December 1943 Target: Steel Shops/Railroad Marshalling Yards
Type: Transportation
Location: Osnabrück, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑39888⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
49⇗ 4 January 1944 Target: Port Area
Type: Transportation
Location: Kiel, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37793⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Flying Spare; joined formation.
Sortie Report⇗
51⇗ 7 January 1944 Target: Powerhouse
Type: Industry
Location: Ludwigshafen, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37793⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
-- 9 January 1944 None
Non-combat sortie 		Ball Turret 42‑37924⇗ Crashed on training mission. Right landing gear would not lower. Made a belly landing at Little Staughton. Aircraft was written off.
Sortie Report⇗
54⇗ 21 January 1944 Target: NOBALL (V-1 Launch Site)
Type: CROSSBOW (V-Weapons)
Location: Preuseville, France 		Ball Turret 42‑37793⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41B Group.
Sortie Report⇗
55⇗ 29 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Parts Plants
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37793⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low group.
Sortie Report⇗
56⇗ 30 January 1944 Target: Aircraft Assembly Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Brunswick / Braunschweig, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑39962⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Lead group. Ground Spare Aircraft; replaced 42‑37793.
Sortie Report⇗
58⇗ 4 February 1944 Target: Alfred Teves Main Works: Aircraft Parts Plant
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37793⇗ Combat Mission Credit
High group, 41st A Combat Wing.
Sortie Report⇗
60⇗ 6 February 1944 Target: Nancy/Essey Aerodrome
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Nancy, France 		Ball Turret 42‑37801⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
61⇗ 8 February 1944 Target: Piston Ring Factory
Type: Industry
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑37793⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Low Squadron. Crash-landed on a golf course near Brighton, Sussex, on return; plane rtd to service after a month.
Sortie Report⇗
63⇗ 20 February 1944 Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Leipzig & Bernburg, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑31433⇗ Combat Mission Credit
41B Group.
Sortie Report⇗
64⇗ 21 February 1944 Target: Fighter Field & Aircraft Storage Depot
Type: German Air Force (Luftwaffe)
Location: Werl, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97488⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Sortie Report⇗
65⇗ 22 February 1944 Target: Aircraft Factory
Type: Aircraft Industry
Location: Halberstadt & Aschersleben, Germany 		Ball Turret 42‑97488⇗ Combat Mission Credit
Failed To Return
41B Group. Shot down in vigorous attacks by 10-15 Me-109s, between 1230 and 1300 hrs near Münster, Germany; crashed near Dortmund or Wesel, Germany. MACR 2465.
Sortie Report⇗

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