Kenneth Edwin Smith, B-17 Co-Pilot

[Stogieman]

Kenneth was the Co-Pilot of a B-17 shot down over Belgium during WW2. He was my Mother-In-Law’s first husband. Here are the awards she received from AAC for him. After she passed, the group came to me.

I have reams of paperwork on the group including telegrams, letters from the WD, photographs and a large scroll from the President. The photos of him from training before he left for England compared to after being through multiple missions show the true horror our men went through. A sad group. Note the Sweetheart pins he gave her as well. More to be added as I sift through the group.

[Stogieman]

A couple of patches and a picture of Kenneth

War Department letter with citation for his Air Medal

[Stogieman]

War Department letter with citation for his Air Medal

 

crew picture 

[Bill Brouillard Jr.]

Very Nice - My Hometown is Springfield and I see he flew with a guy from Chicopee too!!

 

My Mom's family is from Chicopee.

 

Thanks for showing this

 

Bill

[Bill Brouillard Jr.]

Very Nice - My Hometown is Springfield and I see he flew with a guy from Chicopee too!!

 

My Mom's family is from Chicopee.

 

Thanks for showing this

 

Bill

 

Joe Zagula is buried near my parents at St. Stanislaus Cemetery in Chicopee - Prior to enlisting he worked at American Bosch in Springfield - I had 2 Uncles that worked at Bosch and I would guess at least one of the knew him.

 

Sergeant, 332nd Bomb Squadron, 94th Bomb Group, World War II.

Ball Turret Gunner aboard B-17F Flying Fortress #42-31013 "Myasam Dragon." Shot down by anti-aircraft artillery flak on mission to Regensburg and crashed near Molenschot, Netherlands.
MACR 7836.

All ten crew members were Killed In Action:

2nd Lt. Kenneth L Gregg, Pilot
2nd Lt. Kenneth E Smith, Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. John T Peterson, Navigator
2nd Lt. Joseph J George, Bombardier
Sgt. Carl H Allen, Tail Gunner
S/Sgt. Frederick R Kendig, Radio Operator
Sgt. Latham W Neal, Right Waist Gunner
S/Sgt. John G Price, Top Turret Gunner
Sgt. Walter L Woolf, Left Waist Gunner
Sgt. Joseph M Zagula, Ball Turret Gunner
~
Enlisted April 15, 1943. Service ID #31286912.

---

Inscription

SGT, 332 AAF BOMB SQ, 94 BOMB GP WORLD WAR II

[Stogieman]

Hi Bill, thanks for the information. My Mother In Law was from Springfield during and after the war. She eventually remarried to an island hopping Marine (I have his uniform with service ribbons), (my wife’s father).

They moved to East Longmeadow and she lived her life out in Chicopee. Ken was buried in Margraaten (sp?) but eventually reinterred In Springfield. She visited his grave faithfully for her entire life. Overseas it turned out he was buried near my Great Uncle’s brother. You should have seen her and my uncle hobnobbing at gatherings. He flew photo reconnaissance in B-17s during the war and actually had pictures of the cemetery.

I have his brother’s Purple Heart. He was KIA as a prisoner cleaning up ruins in Scharffamberg (sp?) when a second wave of bombers came through.

small world!

[Stogieman]

BTW I grew up in Westfield 

[Bill Brouillard Jr.]

I used to be a driver/delivery guy for the Springfield Newspapers while I was in College (AIC) and I delivered in Westfield (1976-80).

 

Ken Smith was buried at Oak Grove Cemetery in Springfield.

 

Bill