Quentin Smith was born on 18 December 1917, Fentress County, Tennessee, the son of Harve Smith and Lodicey ” Dice ” Elizabeth Beaty .
Killed in Action 16 August 1944 over Italy.
Staff Sergeant
746th Squadron, 15th Air Force
S/Sgt Smith was a crew member on a B-24 Bomber. He is buried at Dempsey Bowden Cemetery, Boatland, Fentress County, Tennessee.
15 August 1944, Group mission No. 100, the target, Beach No. 264B, Southern France. Prior to this mission the Group was continuing to fly night training flights and every one was wondering what it was leading up to, on the morning of the 15th the answer came through in the form of an order.
“This was it!” At 2400 hours a briefing was held at Group headquarters. There had been many rumors that there would be an invasion of southern France and at last the job was to be done.
The first call came at 2245, the first night mission of the 15th Air Force was to begin. Six bombers dropped 6.1 ton of ground operations in the south of France. The flat at the target was heavy, scattered and inaccurate, no enemy fighters were encountered. One bomber was lost. The results were indeterminate due to the weather. The combat fight time was 6:40 hours. The crew and bomber that was lost was crew #47 in A/C #487 of the 746th Squadron. The plane flown by Lt Curtis Winn had just lifted off the runway headed north when it crashed, exploded and burned. Cause unknown. The combination of darkness and the explosion precluded any accurate reconstruction of the accident. There were no survivors.
The crew
1st Lt. Curtis Winn, pilot
2nd Lt. Robert C. Schieritz, Co-Pilot
2nd Lt. Charles C. Fisher, Navigator
2nd Lt. Water B. Rau, Bombardier
Sgt Quentin Smith, Radio Operator
Sgt Norman Highman, Engineer
Cpl. William E. Ames, Turret Gunner
Cpl. Charles Collins, Turret Gunner
Cpl. John Proctor, Turret Gunner
Cpl. Robert Nast, Turret Gunner
The Upper Cumberland Times, December 9, 1948
The body of S/Sgt Quentin Smith, arrived home from Bari, Italy, Tuesday November 30. He was killed in action August 15, 1944, while on a bombing mission. Sgt. Smith is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Harve Smith of Boatland. He is survived by his parents, four sisters, Mrs. Howard Williams, Jamestown, Mrs. Melvin Cook, Banners Springs, Mrs. Egbert Atkins, Roanoke and Mrs. Clyde Hodgkins, Providence, R.K.; four brothers, Fred and Scott, Jamestown, Ray of Boatland and Earl, Roanoke.
Quentin attended the public schools of Fentress County, graduated from the Cumberland Mt. High School at Crossville, Tenn. Attended T.P.I at Cookeville for 2 years. Taught two years in the public school of this county. Attended the University of Tennessee for two years, from where he received his degree in the spring of 1942 prior to entering the army. He was a member of the Methodist Church and lived a life of preparation and inspiration to those who knew him. He left a great consolation to his family and many friend in the following quotation. “As we fly through the dark and storm of battle our Prayer is a safe and happy landing on earth or in Heaven.”
- Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Date of birth: 18 December 1917
- Date of death: 16 August 1944
- County: Fentress
- Hometown: Boatland
- Service Branch: Army/Army Air Forces
- Division/Assignment: 746th Squadron, 15th Air Force
- Theater: Europe
- Conflict: World War II
- Awards: Purple Heart
- Burial/Memorial Location: Dempsey Bowden Cemetery, Boatland, Fentress County, TN
- Location In Memorial: Pillar IX, Top Panel
- Contact us to sponsor Quentin Smith
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