Robert C. SMITH

 

smith robert c
ARMY SERIAL NUMBERO-739355
AGE- yo
DATE OF BIRTHClio, MICHIGAN
STATEINDIANA
FAMILY-
RANK1st Lieutenant
FONCTIONPilot
JOB before ENLISTEMENT--IN
DATE of ENLISTEMENT-
SQUADRON503th Fighter Bomb Squadron
GROUP339th Fighter Bomb Group
ARMY8th Air Force
DATE OF DEATH8 june 1944smith robert c tombe
STATUSKIA
PLACE OF DEATHLa Réhorie - Cne de Montautour
DATA PLAN

P-51 Mustang - type C-I - s/n 42-103299

p 51 mustang
Macr: 5618
Mission : Rennes
Take Off : Station 378 Fowlmere, Cambridgeshire UK
Shot by hunter Focke Wulf 190 - à 17h30

CEMETERYBRITTANY AMERICAN CEMETERY from St James

Map Brittany American Cemetery

GRAVE
PlotRowGrave
D183
DECORATION
Purple HeartPhoto
Distiguished Flying Cross + OLCdfc+olc
Air Medal + 3 Oak Leaf ClusterPhoto
usaf 8AIRFORCE339fg503fs
 
 

Stele in memory

smith robert c stele 1smith robert c stele


8AIRFORCE

339th FIGHTER GROUP

339fg
 
Squadrons of the 339th Fighter Group
503th Fighter Squadron
504th Fighter Squadron
505th Fighter Squadron
 
Assigned 8th AAF: 4 April 1944
Wing/Command Assignment VIII FC,
66 FW: 4 April 1944. 3 BD,
66 FW: 15 Sep. 1944. 3 AD,
66 FW: 1 Jan. 1945.
 
Combat Aircraft:
P-51 B
P-51 C
P-51 D
P-51 K
 
Stations
FOWLMERE 5 April 1944 - 10 October 1945
 
Group COs
Col John B. Henry Jr: 17 Aug. 1943 - 13 Apr. 1945
Lt Col Harold W. Scruggs acting 1 Oct. 1944 - 24 Dec. 1944
Lt Col Carl T. Goldenberg acting 24 Dec - 28 Dec. 1944.
Lt Col William C. Clark: 14 Apr. 1945 - unknown
 
First Mission: 30 April 1944
Last Mission: 21 April 1945.
Total sorties: 264
Enemy Aircraft Claims: 239 air; 440 ground.
MIA: 97
 
Major Awards
Distinguished Unit Citation: 10
 
11 Sep. 1944: destruction 58 enemy aircraft on escort missions.
 
Claims to Fame Highest claims of air and ground enemy aircraft victories in one year. Tested the Berger G-suit for 8AF. Only group to claim over a hundred ground strafing victories on two occasions - 105 on 4 April 1945 and 118 on 16 April 1945. Early History: Activated as 339 BG at Hunter Field, GA. on 10 August 1942, with the 482nd, 483rd, 484th and 485th Bomb Squadrons.
 
Established Drew
Field, FL. in February 1943 and trained with A-24 and A-25 dive-bombers. With abandonment of dive-bomber role Group moved Walterboro AAField, SC. on the 4th July 1943 and re-equipped with P-39. Unit was Re-designated as Fighter Bomber Group on the 15 August 1943 and squadrons renumbered. Unit then moved to Rice Field, CA. on 16 Sep. 1943 and continued training. Commenced overseas movement 9 March 1944, arriving at Camp Shanks, NY. on the 14 March 1944 and sailing on the Stirling Castle, on 22 March 1944 and arriving in Liverpool 4 April 1944. Unit was re-equipped with P-51s on the 12 April 1944.
 
Subsequent History:
Group returned to US on October 1945. Aircraft were sent to depots for disposal in August 1945. Personnel sailed on Queen Mary on the 11 October 1945, arriving in New York on 16 October 1945. Group established at Camp Kilmer, NJ. and inactivated there on 18 October 1945. In 1946 the unit was re designated as the 107th Fighter Group and allotted to New York ANG. Later equipped with F-100C

INFORMATION SOURCESFrancecrashes39-45.net - 339thfg.com - Usaaf.com/8AF_SQD
PICTURE SOURCEFrédéric LAVERNHE
PROGRAMMERFrédéric & Renaud
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