John J. Smith Jr.
Sergeant John J. Smith Jr., 333rd Bomber Squadron, 94th Bombardment Group, U.S. Army Air Forces. Serial: 20224074.
Sergeant John J. Smith Jr. was born on June 15, 1924, to John and Elsie Smith. He was the great-grandson of Civil War General Franz Sigel. He lived at 210 Main Street in Camden NJ. He attended the Cooper School in Camden, and after leaving school, worked at the RTC Shipyard in Camden. John Smith enlisted in the United States Army on his 18th birthday.
John Smith qualified for flight duty, and trained as a nose gunner and toggleer. He went overseas as a member of the 333rd Bomber Squadron, 94th Bombardment Group, Heavy. He had received the Purple Heart several months before he was killed when he was wounded during a mission.
Sergeant Smith was killed in action on July 31, 1944, when his B-17 went down over Munich, Germany. His body was not found until almost five years after he had been lost. Located early in 1949, John Smith was returned home during the summer of 1949. He was interred at Beverly National Cemetery in Beverly NJ on August 1, 1949. Sergeant Smith was survived by his parents, two brothers, George and William, and a sister, Mrs. Catherine Shindler.
Army Finds Body Of Camden Flier After 5 Years
Camden Courier-Post —
Almost five years ago Sgt. John J. Smith Jr., 20, an air force bombardier, was shot down over Germany.
The North Camden airman was buried somewhere near Fürstenheim, Germany, but members of the burial party were killed soon afterward and for almost five years the grave has been among those searched for by the War Department’s graves commission.
Today Mrs. John J. Smith, 217 Bailey street, received word from army authorities that the grave had been located, and her son had been reburied in a U. S. military cemetery near Metz, France.
Mrs. Smith, given the opportunity to have her son’s body returned, has requested that it be sent home for burial here.
Sergeant Smith, who worked at the RTC Shipyard before he enlisted early in 1942, was believed to have been killed July 31, 1944, while serving with the Eighth Air Force at the time of his death.
A brother, Pfc. George E. Smith, is serving with U. S. occupation forces in Japan.