Woodrow W Smith
Military ROLL OF HONOUR
Rear L-R: 1Lt Reinaldo J Saiz, 1Lt Samuel H Anderson, Capt Lewis E Lyle, Lt Col George L. Robinson, 1Lt Otis Allen Hoyt.
Front L-R: Sgt Tom McGiffin, T/Sgt Gene K. Smith, T/Sgt Woodrow W Smith, T/Sgt Clayton S. Balcombe, T/Sgt Martin A. Semonick, S/Sgt Edward A. Bradford.
Object Number - UPL 42269 - "Lead crew on bombing mission to Rotterdam, Holland in front of the Boeing B-17 "Flying Fortress" 'Ooold Soljer'. 303rd Bomb Group, England. 4 March...
15-Sep-42 303BG Personnel Records indicate he was assigned as an Aerial Gunner with the 303BG/360BS at Biggs Field, El Paso, Texas but was not assigned to a regular crew and records do not indicate when he arrived at Molesworth, UK.
31-Mar-43 Killed in Action (KIA), B-17F #41-24559 B-17 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS while serving as Tail Gunner. The aircraft was involved in a mid-air collision with B-17F #42-29573 "Two Beauts", 303BG/358BS. This occured less than an hour from takeoff with each carrying 6 bombs for the mission to Rotterdam. The planes crashed at Mears Ashby and 303rd reports a memorial to the two crews is there.
Participated in 11 Operations (1 was Aborted) See Biography events.
Connections
See how this entry relates to other items in the archive by exploring the connections below.
Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 303rd Bomb Group 360th Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-791048
- Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Pilot
Aircraft
Missions
- Date: 31 March 1943
- Date: 28 March 1943
- Date: 22 March 1943
- Date: 6 March 1943
- Date: 4 March 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Oklahoma | 29 September 1914 | |
|
Other Assigned to Unit |
Biggs Field, TX 79918, USA | 15 September 1942 | Assigned to 303BG/360BS as an Aerial Gunner. Records do not indicate that he was assigned to any particular aircraft or crew at that time. |
|
Other Mission #1, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24579, 303BG/360BS |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 3 January 1943 | Served as a substitute Left Waist Gunner on B-17F 41-24579 "Thumper", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #2, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Lille, France | 13 January 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the Lille Fives Locomotive Works at Lille, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #3, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Lorient, France | 23 January 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #4, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 27 January 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the naval facilities and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #5, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS - Aborted |
Saint-Nazaire, France | 16 February 1943 | Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at St. Nazaire, France, but mechanical failures forced the pilot to abort the sortie. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #6, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Brest, France | 27 February 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the port area and U-Boat pens at Brest, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #7, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Rotterdam, Netherlands | 4 March 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Rotterdam, Holland. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #8, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Lorient, France | 6 March 1943 | Served as Ball Turret Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #9, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 22 March 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the naval facilities and U-Boat pens at Wilhelmshaven Germany. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #10, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Rouen, France | 28 March 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the railroad marshalling yards at Roeun, France. RTB OK. |
|
Other Mission #10, SSGT Woodrow W. Smith, w/B17F 41-24559, 303BG/360BS |
Rotterdam, Netherlands | 31 March 1943 | Served as Tail Gunner on B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer", 303BG/360BS on a mission to bomb the shipyards at Rotterdam, Holland. Killed when the aircraft B-17F 41-24559 "Ooold Soljer" sustained a mid-air collision with a B-17 from 358BS during 10/10 cloud cover and crashed. |
|
Buried |
Huckabee Cemetery, Evening Shade, Hempstead County, AR | Re-Interred Huckabee Cemetery Evening Shade, Hempstead County, Arkansas |
Revisions
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Added a "#" to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Lee Cunningham 7-Mar-2016. Added Mission #11 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 31-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/027.pdf
Lee Cunningham 7-Mar-2016. Added Mission #10 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 28-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/026.pdf
Lee Cunningham 7-Mar-2016. Added Mission #9 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 22-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/025.pdf
Lee Cunningham 7-Mar-2016. Added Mission #8 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 6-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/020.pdf
Lee Cunningham 7-Mar-2016. Added SN, Completed Paarticipations Statement in Summary Biography, Made connections to Aircraft 41-24579 and Missions of 6-Mar-43, 22-Mar-43, 28-Mar-43 and 31-Mar-43 pere 303BG website, Gary Moncur Historian, Mission Reports of dates stated: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Added Mission #7 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 4-Mar-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/019.pdf
Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Added Mission #6 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 27-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/018.pdf
Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Added Mission #5 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 16-Feb-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/016.pdf
Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Added Mission #4 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 27-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/012.pdf
Lee Cunningham 26-Feb-2016. Made connections to Missions of 27-Jan-43, 16-Feb-43, 27-Feb-43 and 4-Mar-43 per 303BG records: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2016. Added Mission #3 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 23-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/011.pdf
Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2016. Added Mission #2 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 13-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/010.pdf
Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2016. Added Mission #1 event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, Mission Report of 3-Jan-43: http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/009.pdf
Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2016. Added Assigned to Unit event per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, 303BG Personnel Roster: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Lee Cunningham 5-Feb-2015. Added initial assignment to unit info to Summary Biography and made connections to Place, Aircraft (through 23-Jan-43) and Missions (through 23-Jan-43) per 303BG website, Gary Moncur, Historian, 303BG Personnel Roster: http://www.303rdbg.com/
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. 1 by Bishop and Hey, p. 94, 303rd \web site, ABMC web site
