Sanford T. Smith Crew

SANFORD T. SMITH - 359th BS
B-17F Fast Worker Mk II #42-5177 359BS BN-U
(crew assigned 359BS: 04 Jan 1943 - photo: spring 1943)

(Back L-R) T/Sgt Russell F. Tibbles (BT), T/Sgt Sidney T. Hardaway (E),
S/Sgt Ralph Boyd Adams (LWG), S/Sgt Earl R. Howard (TG),
S/Sgt Jack L. Perryman (RWG), T/Sgt Robert F. York (R)

(Front L-R) Capt Sanford T. Smith (P), 1Lt Robert P. Dwyer (B),
1Lt Thomas E. Summers (N), 2Lt Lawrence C. Farrell (CP)

Twenty-nine dispatched (26 credited) combat missions of Capt Sanford T. Smith:
10 (13 Jan 43), 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 (A), 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 35, 36, 37 (A), 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 (A), 43, 43A, 44 (25 June 1943)
For Mission dates, targets and Mission Reports, see Combat Missions.

(A) Three Aborted missions:

Mission 21 - 8 Mar 43 to Rennes, France (2:23 flight time) Right Waist Gun ran away, Oxygen Leak
Mission 37 - 17 May 43 to Lorient France (1:15 flight time) #1 engine out, #2 supercharger out, 2 generators out
Mission 42 - 13 June 43 to Bremen, GermaNY (0:59 flight time) Take off without U.S. type shoes, Compass out, Right Top Turret Gun out

Twelve B-17Fs flown by Captain Sanford T. Smith on his 29 dispatched missions:

41-24635 The '8' Ball Mk II (359BS) BN-O - Missions 10, 29, 35
42-5177 Fast Worker Mk II (359BS) Bn-V - Missions 11, 18, 19, 20, 21 (A), 23, 24, 30, 31
41-24609 Holy Mackerel (359BS) BN-Q - Mission 12
41-24605 Knockout Dropper (359BS) BN-R - Missions 14, 17
42-5243 FDR's Potato Peeler Kids (359BS) BN-P - Missions 25, 28
42-5430 Good Enuf (359BS) BN-V - Mission 26
42-5482 Cat-O-Nine Tails (359BS) BN-V - Mission 27
42-3002 The Old Squaw (359BS) BN-Z - Mission 36
42-3029 Wallaroo (359BS) BN-N - Mission 37 (A)
41-24561 The Duchess (359BS) BN-T - Mission 38
42-29846 (No name) (359BS) BN-P - Missions 39, 40, 41, 43
41-24565 Idaho Potato Peeler aka Rambling Wreck (359BS) BN-P 42 (A), 43A, 44

Crew Notes:

Capt Sanford T. Smith (P) - 26 credited missions flown: Two missions flown as CoPilot - Lead Crew Mission 10 with Major Eugene A. Romig and mission 35 with Major William R. Calhoun. All other missions flown as First Pilot. Completed combat tour on 25 June 1943 Mission 44). Capt Smith was the first 303rd replacement Pilot on 4 January 1943, after the original Pilots, to fly a combat mission.
2Lt Lawrence C. "Larry" Farrell (CP) - 24 credited missions flown: 22 with Capt Smith - (All Smith missions except 10, 12, 17, 35); With other Pilots: 2 missions (35, 45). Completed combat tour on 26 June 1943 (Mission 45). Married an English Girl near London in February or March 1943. May have been the first 303rd BG(H) member to marry an English young lady.

Larry Farrell and His English Bride
1Lt Thomas E. Summers (N) - 22 credited missions flown: 20 with Capt Smith - (All Smith missions except 10, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 (A) ); With other Pilots - 2 missions (45, 48). Completed last mission (not a combat tour) on 4 July 1933 (Mission 48).
1Lt Robert P. Dwyer (B) - 26 credited missions flown: 23 with Capt Smith - (All Smith missions except 10, 17, 39); With other Pilots - 3 missions (15, 17, 45). Completed combat tour on 26 June 1943 (Mission 45).
T/Sgt Sidney T. Hardaway (E) - 25 credited missions flown: 22 with Capt Smith - (All Smith missions except 10, 17, 43A, 44); With other Pilots - 3 missions (10, 15, 17). Completed combat tour on 22 June 1943 (Mission 43). Transferred to the 9th Air Force where he completed another 60 missions as a B-26 Bomb Group Flight Engineer.
T/Sgt Robert F. York (R) - 26 credited missions flown: 22 with Capt Smith - (All Smith missions except 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 (A) ); With other Pilots - 4 credited missions (13 (A), 22 (A), 45, 48, 49, 50). Completed combat tour on 14 July 1943 (Mission 50). Was wounded and awarded the Purple Heart Medal on an unknown earlier missions where doctors removed 28 pieces of flak fragments from his body.
S/Sgt Russell F. Tibbles (BTG) - 25 credited missions flown: 19 with Capt Smith - (All Smith missions except 10, 17, 19, 20, 21 (A), 40); With other Pilots - 6 credited missions (15 (A), 19, 21, 22, 45, 48, 49). Completed combat tour on 18 July 1943 (Mission 49).
S/Sgt Ralph Boyd Adams (LWG) - 25 credited missions flown: 22 with Capt Smith - (All Smith missions except 10, 17, 18, 40); With other Pilots - 3 missions (10, 13, 45). Completed combat tour on 26 June 1943 (Mission 45).
S/Sgt Jack L. Perryman (RWG/TG)(WIA) - 26 credited missions flown: 13 with Capt Smith as RWG - All Smith missions except 10, 11, 12, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 (A), 40, 41, 42 (A), 43, 43A, 44): 13 credited missions with other Pilots as Tail Gunner - With 1Lt Robert L. Phelps (63, 65, 66, 67, 70, 71 (A), 73, 74, 75, 76 (A), 77, 78), With 2Lt Howard S. Bolsover (82, 83). Was Shot through the shoulder, and awarded the Purple Heart Medal, on mission 83 on 26 Nov 1943. A ME 109 knocked out two engines and badly damaged the B-17. The LWG was also wounded and Radio Operator KIA. An emergency landing made at the 320th Royal Netherlands Navy Squadron airfield at Attlebridge, England. Completed combat tour on 26 Nov 1943 (Mission 83).
S/Sgt Earl R. Howard (TG) - 26 credited missions flown: 21 with Capt Smith - 21 with Capt Smith - All Smith missions except 10, 12, 17, 35, 37, 38); With other Pilots - 5 credited missions (13 (A), 15 (A), 16 (A), 22, 38, 45, 48, 49. Mission 49 flown as a Photographer. Completed combat tour on 10 July 1943 (Mission 49).

[photo courtesy of Ralph B. Adams]
[Researched by Harry D. Gobrecht, 303rdBGA Historian Emeritus]