Walter Smith, Jr. was born on August 18, 1919, in Alabama. Prior to his enlistment, he was an employee of the editorial department of The Birmingham News Age-Herald. He joined the RCAF, and he later transferred to the USAAF after Pearl Harbor.

Walter served in the 335th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group, as a Flight Officer and pilot of the P-51 Mustang, type B-10-NA #43-7172 WD*H at the time of his death. On June 6, 1944, he took off from Station 356 airfield in Debden, England, on a sweep mission in northern France. At 8:30 PM, he was Killed in Action when his aircraft was shot down by Fw190 and crashed near Neubourg, France. His section was strafing a train when they were attacked by fifteen ME-109’s and FW-190’s.

F/O Smith is now buried in the Elmwood Cemetery, Birmingham, Jefferson County, Alabama, USA.

Source of information: www.findagrave.com, 4thfightergroupassociation.org