Name:
August F. Smanietto
Rank:
Staff Sergeant
Serial Number:
19062047
Unit:
68th Bomber Squadron, 44th Bomb Group
Date of Death:
1944-01-21
State:
California
Cemetery:
Plot:
Row:
Grave:
Decoration:
Purple Heart
Comments:
SSgt August F. Smanietto, top turret gunner of the B-24 Liberator 42-7501 “Bing’s Big Box”, took off from station 115 in Shipdham, Norfolk, UK on a bombing mission over the Estouteville-Écalles’ V-1 site. At 1524 the plane was hit by German fighters and circled on fire to the left, immediately releasing its bombs. In a flat spin with the pilot yelling at his crew to bail out the plane crashed into the countryside. Only 5 crew members managed to bail out.