Harvey C. Smetzer was born on November 29, 1924. He served in the 849th Bomber Squadron, 490th Bomber Group, Heavy, as a Technical Sergeant and instr Radio Operator on the B-17 #43-38050 during World War II. He was killed in action on January 5, 1945, during a practice mission while approaching the north-eastern outskirts of Bury St. Edmonds. Their airplane collided with #43-38111 flown by 2Lt Donald L. Wood. His airplane broke up into hundreds of pieces. He and six members of the crew including one crew member who bailed out with his parachute on fire and fell to his death were killed.
TSgt Smetzer is now buried in the Valhalla Memorial Park, Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin.
The crew members who were killed:
Pilot: Harry Adelman
Co-Pilot: Charles Elder
Navigator: Arthur A. Saye
Top Turret Gunner: Virgil Walton
instr Flight engineer/top turret gunner: Harold S. Bennett, Jr.
Radio Operator: Don Tuttle
instr Radio Operator: Harvey Smetzer
Source of information: www.findagrave.com, 3rd Air Division 8th Air Force USAF 1942-45: Flying Fortress and Liberator Squadrons in Norfolk and Suffolk by Martin W. Bowman, www.americanairmuseum.com