Albert Theryle Smith was assigned to the 26th Bomb Squadron, 11th Bomb Group. He was lost with the crew of a B-24J, #42-73014, " Koko" a ferry mission from Nurufetau in the Ellice Group to Tarawa on February 3, 1944. He was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters for his actions in prior combat. His name is listed on the "Tablets of the Missing," National Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Albert Smith is estimated to be Sunset HS Class of 1940 based on birth year.
Updated 2021 for minor updates.
Military specialty: Nose Gunner.
Air Medal
Purple Heart
MIA Pacific Ocean, Tarawa Gilbert Islands.
During the night of 2-3 February 1944 the B-24J 42-73014 was lost on a ferry flight from Nurufetau in the Ellice Group to Tarawa with a crew of 26th BS, 11th BG. It was last sighted at 0204 hrs about 23 miles from Tarawa, bearing 160° from Mullinix Field, its planned destination.
Information above compiled by Ron Harris, Class of 1956, Sunset High School, Dallas, TX
Staff Sergeant, United States Army Air Corps
Information below added by #50696055
The next day at 1400 hrs, an aircraft saw a debris field by 173° 15' E 2° 55' N, reporting a tail (shaped like a B-24 one), two life rafts, packages of food, several oxygen bottles, one bedroll, one A/P wheel but no personnel. Two F4F, a SBD and a J2F were dispatched from Tarawa to search the area but no trace of the crew was ever found.
S/O Jewell (Roach) & Albert Theryle Smith
Service # 20811803
Unit Air Corps
Rank Staff Sergeant U.S. Army Air Forces
★ Purple Heart
★ Air Medal Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
SMITH, ALBERT T S SGT ARMY AIR FORCES 20811803 AIR CORPS 2/3/1944 NON-RECOVERABLE Gilbert Islands
Source material from multiple public domain websites.
Main source Pacific Wrecks
Crew & passengers (all lost):
2nd Lt Richard A Nicholson (pilot)
2nd Lt Leo Charles Rosselot, Jr (copilot)
2nd Lt Peter Holovak (navigator)
T/Sgt Victor H Holmes (engineer)
Sgt Paul H Reimers (assistant engineer)
Cpl Harry J Hutchinson (radio operator)
Sgt David E King (assistant radio operator)
S/Sgt Albert T Smith (nose gunner)
S/Sgt Donald R Hartmann (armor-gunner)
1st Lt Richard C Powell (passenger
Sgt Gordon D McGaffey (passenger)
Sgt Uno E Ylimainen (passenger)
Remembered by Buffalo (50696055)
Albert Smith is estimated to be Sunset HS Class of 1940 based on birth year.
Updated 2021 for minor updates.
Military specialty: Nose Gunner.
Air Medal
Purple Heart
MIA Pacific Ocean, Tarawa Gilbert Islands.
During the night of 2-3 February 1944 the B-24J 42-73014 was lost on a ferry flight from Nurufetau in the Ellice Group to Tarawa with a crew of 26th BS, 11th BG. It was last sighted at 0204 hrs about 23 miles from Tarawa, bearing 160° from Mullinix Field, its planned destination.
Information above compiled by Ron Harris, Class of 1956, Sunset High School, Dallas, TX
Staff Sergeant, United States Army Air Corps
Information below added by #50696055
The next day at 1400 hrs, an aircraft saw a debris field by 173° 15' E 2° 55' N, reporting a tail (shaped like a B-24 one), two life rafts, packages of food, several oxygen bottles, one bedroll, one A/P wheel but no personnel. Two F4F, a SBD and a J2F were dispatched from Tarawa to search the area but no trace of the crew was ever found.
S/O Jewell (Roach) & Albert Theryle Smith
Service # 20811803
Unit Air Corps
Rank Staff Sergeant U.S. Army Air Forces
★ Purple Heart
★ Air Medal Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
SMITH, ALBERT T S SGT ARMY AIR FORCES 20811803 AIR CORPS 2/3/1944 NON-RECOVERABLE Gilbert Islands
Source material from multiple public domain websites.
Main source Pacific Wrecks
Crew & passengers (all lost):
2nd Lt Richard A Nicholson (pilot)
2nd Lt Leo Charles Rosselot, Jr (copilot)
2nd Lt Peter Holovak (navigator)
T/Sgt Victor H Holmes (engineer)
Sgt Paul H Reimers (assistant engineer)
Cpl Harry J Hutchinson (radio operator)
Sgt David E King (assistant radio operator)
S/Sgt Albert T Smith (nose gunner)
S/Sgt Donald R Hartmann (armor-gunner)
1st Lt Richard C Powell (passenger
Sgt Gordon D McGaffey (passenger)
Sgt Uno E Ylimainen (passenger)
Remembered by Buffalo (50696055)
Albert Theryle Smith was assigned to the 26th Bomb Squadron, 11th Bomb Group. He was lost with the crew of a B-24J, #42-73014, " Koko" a ferry mission from Nurufetau in the Ellice Group to Tarawa on February 3, 1944. He was awarded the Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters for his actions in prior combat. His name is listed on the "Tablets of the Missing," National Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii.
Albert Smith is estimated to be Sunset HS Class of 1940 based on birth year.
Updated 2021 for minor updates.
Military specialty: Nose Gunner.
Air Medal
Purple Heart
MIA Pacific Ocean, Tarawa Gilbert Islands.
During the night of 2-3 February 1944 the B-24J 42-73014 was lost on a ferry flight from Nurufetau in the Ellice Group to Tarawa with a crew of 26th BS, 11th BG. It was last sighted at 0204 hrs about 23 miles from Tarawa, bearing 160° from Mullinix Field, its planned destination.
Information above compiled by Ron Harris, Class of 1956, Sunset High School, Dallas, TX
Staff Sergeant, United States Army Air Corps
Information below added by #50696055
The next day at 1400 hrs, an aircraft saw a debris field by 173° 15' E 2° 55' N, reporting a tail (shaped like a B-24 one), two life rafts, packages of food, several oxygen bottles, one bedroll, one A/P wheel but no personnel. Two F4F, a SBD and a J2F were dispatched from Tarawa to search the area but no trace of the crew was ever found.
S/O Jewell (Roach) & Albert Theryle Smith
Service # 20811803
Unit Air Corps
Rank Staff Sergeant U.S. Army Air Forces
★ Purple Heart
★ Air Medal Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
SMITH, ALBERT T S SGT ARMY AIR FORCES 20811803 AIR CORPS 2/3/1944 NON-RECOVERABLE Gilbert Islands
Source material from multiple public domain websites.
Main source Pacific Wrecks
Crew & passengers (all lost):
2nd Lt Richard A Nicholson (pilot)
2nd Lt Leo Charles Rosselot, Jr (copilot)
2nd Lt Peter Holovak (navigator)
T/Sgt Victor H Holmes (engineer)
Sgt Paul H Reimers (assistant engineer)
Cpl Harry J Hutchinson (radio operator)
Sgt David E King (assistant radio operator)
S/Sgt Albert T Smith (nose gunner)
S/Sgt Donald R Hartmann (armor-gunner)
1st Lt Richard C Powell (passenger
Sgt Gordon D McGaffey (passenger)
Sgt Uno E Ylimainen (passenger)
Remembered by Buffalo (50696055)
Albert Smith is estimated to be Sunset HS Class of 1940 based on birth year.
Updated 2021 for minor updates.
Military specialty: Nose Gunner.
Air Medal
Purple Heart
MIA Pacific Ocean, Tarawa Gilbert Islands.
During the night of 2-3 February 1944 the B-24J 42-73014 was lost on a ferry flight from Nurufetau in the Ellice Group to Tarawa with a crew of 26th BS, 11th BG. It was last sighted at 0204 hrs about 23 miles from Tarawa, bearing 160° from Mullinix Field, its planned destination.
Information above compiled by Ron Harris, Class of 1956, Sunset High School, Dallas, TX
Staff Sergeant, United States Army Air Corps
Information below added by #50696055
The next day at 1400 hrs, an aircraft saw a debris field by 173° 15' E 2° 55' N, reporting a tail (shaped like a B-24 one), two life rafts, packages of food, several oxygen bottles, one bedroll, one A/P wheel but no personnel. Two F4F, a SBD and a J2F were dispatched from Tarawa to search the area but no trace of the crew was ever found.
S/O Jewell (Roach) & Albert Theryle Smith
Service # 20811803
Unit Air Corps
Rank Staff Sergeant U.S. Army Air Forces
★ Purple Heart
★ Air Medal Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster
SMITH, ALBERT T S SGT ARMY AIR FORCES 20811803 AIR CORPS 2/3/1944 NON-RECOVERABLE Gilbert Islands
Source material from multiple public domain websites.
Main source Pacific Wrecks
Crew & passengers (all lost):
2nd Lt Richard A Nicholson (pilot)
2nd Lt Leo Charles Rosselot, Jr (copilot)
2nd Lt Peter Holovak (navigator)
T/Sgt Victor H Holmes (engineer)
Sgt Paul H Reimers (assistant engineer)
Cpl Harry J Hutchinson (radio operator)
Sgt David E King (assistant radio operator)
S/Sgt Albert T Smith (nose gunner)
S/Sgt Donald R Hartmann (armor-gunner)
1st Lt Richard C Powell (passenger
Sgt Gordon D McGaffey (passenger)
Sgt Uno E Ylimainen (passenger)
Remembered by Buffalo (50696055)
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Texas.
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