Name:
Woodrow James Schmidt
Rank:
Staff Sergeant
Serial Number:
39016563
Unit:
786th Bomber Squadron, 466th Bomber Group, Heavy
Date of Death:
0000-00-00
State:
California
Cemetery:
Plot:
Row:
Grave:
Decoration:
Air Medal
Comments:
From Van Nuys, California Ball Turret Gunner of the B-24 Liberator 41-29371 “Crippled Bitch” that took off from Station 120 Attlebridge in Norfolk, UK on a mission to bomb the airfield at Bretigny-sur-Orge in France. The plane was hit by flak before it had released its bombs. The flaming plane was partially evacuated before it disintegrated in an in-flight explosion at 20,000 feet at around 7:30 pm. Schmidt was taken as a POW to Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow.