Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until March 30, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Harold A. Smethurst, Sr. who resided in New York City, New York.
Harold served as a Staff Sergeant & Engineer / Gunner on B-24D "Lakanooki" #42-40857, 371st Bomber Squadron, 307th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Sullivan County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 6, 1942 in New York City, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Furrier and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24D #42-40857 took off from Mokerang Airfield (APO #719), Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea on a combat mission over Yap Island.
When returning from the mission they appeared to have mechanical problems with 3 of their engines which caused the pilot to ditch appx. 240 miles north of the Wakde Islands during the war.
Harold was declared "Missing In Action" in this ditching.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 12040886
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-40857:
Bauer, Chester ~ Corp, Gunner, MD
Callaway, Jack S, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OK
Klinefelter, Leslie E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, VT
McNab, Sherlock T, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, FL
Patla, Joseph G ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Smethurst, Harold A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, NY
2nd Lt. Gayle W. Kizer (Pilot), 2nd Lt. Richard D. Wiley (Navigator), Corp. James W. Erickson (Gunner), Sgt. Hilary Gilbert, Jr. (Photographer), and Corp. Robert G. Ashby (Gunner), who was declared "Missing In Action" on a later mission ( all survived the ditching.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Harold A. Smethurst, Sr. who resided in New York City, New York.
Harold served as a Staff Sergeant & Engineer / Gunner on B-24D "Lakanooki" #42-40857, 371st Bomber Squadron, 307th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Sullivan County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 6, 1942 in New York City, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Furrier and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24D #42-40857 took off from Mokerang Airfield (APO #719), Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea on a combat mission over Yap Island.
When returning from the mission they appeared to have mechanical problems with 3 of their engines which caused the pilot to ditch appx. 240 miles north of the Wakde Islands during the war.
Harold was declared "Missing In Action" in this ditching.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 12040886
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-40857:
Bauer, Chester ~ Corp, Gunner, MD
Callaway, Jack S, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OK
Klinefelter, Leslie E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, VT
McNab, Sherlock T, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, FL
Patla, Joseph G ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Smethurst, Harold A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, NY
2nd Lt. Gayle W. Kizer (Pilot), 2nd Lt. Richard D. Wiley (Navigator), Corp. James W. Erickson (Gunner), Sgt. Hilary Gilbert, Jr. (Photographer), and Corp. Robert G. Ashby (Gunner), who was declared "Missing In Action" on a later mission ( all survived the ditching.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Having actually gone "Missing" on the above date, he was not officially declared by the military as being dead until March 30, 1946.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Harold A. Smethurst, Sr. who resided in New York City, New York.
Harold served as a Staff Sergeant & Engineer / Gunner on B-24D "Lakanooki" #42-40857, 371st Bomber Squadron, 307th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Sullivan County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 6, 1942 in New York City, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Furrier and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24D #42-40857 took off from Mokerang Airfield (APO #719), Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea on a combat mission over Yap Island.
When returning from the mission they appeared to have mechanical problems with 3 of their engines which caused the pilot to ditch appx. 240 miles north of the Wakde Islands during the war.
Harold was declared "Missing In Action" in this ditching.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 12040886
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-40857:
Bauer, Chester ~ Corp, Gunner, MD
Callaway, Jack S, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OK
Klinefelter, Leslie E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, VT
McNab, Sherlock T, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, FL
Patla, Joseph G ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Smethurst, Harold A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, NY
2nd Lt. Gayle W. Kizer (Pilot), 2nd Lt. Richard D. Wiley (Navigator), Corp. James W. Erickson (Gunner), Sgt. Hilary Gilbert, Jr. (Photographer), and Corp. Robert G. Ashby (Gunner), who was declared "Missing In Action" on a later mission ( all survived the ditching.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Son of Harold A. Smethurst, Sr. who resided in New York City, New York.
Harold served as a Staff Sergeant & Engineer / Gunner on B-24D "Lakanooki" #42-40857, 371st Bomber Squadron, 307th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Sullivan County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on January 6, 1942 in New York City, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Furrier and also as Single, without dependents.
B-24D #42-40857 took off from Mokerang Airfield (APO #719), Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea on a combat mission over Yap Island.
When returning from the mission they appeared to have mechanical problems with 3 of their engines which caused the pilot to ditch appx. 240 miles north of the Wakde Islands during the war.
Harold was declared "Missing In Action" in this ditching.
He was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
Service # 12040886
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-40857:
Bauer, Chester ~ Corp, Gunner, MD
Callaway, Jack S, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, OK
Klinefelter, Leslie E ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, VT
McNab, Sherlock T, Jr ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, FL
Patla, Joseph G ~ Corp, Gunner, IL
Smethurst, Harold A, Jr ~ S/Sgt, Engineer, NY
2nd Lt. Gayle W. Kizer (Pilot), 2nd Lt. Richard D. Wiley (Navigator), Corp. James W. Erickson (Gunner), Sgt. Hilary Gilbert, Jr. (Photographer), and Corp. Robert G. Ashby (Gunner), who was declared "Missing In Action" on a later mission ( all survived the ditching.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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