Smith Archie J.

Name:

Archie J. Smith

Rank:

Staff Sergeant

Serial Number:

19180094

Unit:

367th Bombardment Squadron

Date of Death:

1944-04-24

State:

Washington

Cemetery:

Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-Sur-Mer, France

Plot:

I

Row:

27

Grave:

32

Decoration:

Purple Heart

Comments:

Archie J. Smith was born in 1909 in Washington. He served in the 367th Bomber Squadron, 306th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Staff Sergeant and Radio Operator/Gunner on the B-17 #42-31445 during World War II.

On April 24, 1944, his crew took off from Station 111 airfield in Thurleigh, England, for a mission to Oberpfaffenhofen. At about 11:23 AM, their airplane was shot down by flak, taking a direct hit to the #4 engine. Four members were able to bail out just before their plane exploded in flight. The aircraft crashed in the La Salandrière forest range in Saint-Saëns. The others that were not able to bail out died in the incident, including SSgt Smith.

SSgt Smith is now buried in the Normandy American Cemetery, Colleville-Sur-Mer, France.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, www.abmc.gov, francecrashes39-45.net