Robert George Smith
First Lieutenant Robert G. Smith was a Marine fighter pilot who flew with VMF-11.
He was killed in a training accident off Oahu, Hawaii, on 27 February 1944.
Branch
Marine Corps Reserve
Service Number O-20280
Current Status
Remains Not Recovered
Pursuit Category
Based on circumstances of loss, this individual is considered permanently non-recoverable.
Capsule History
Pre-War Life
Birth
February 24, 1920
at Joliet, IL
Parents
Joseph John Smith
Mother’s name unknown
Education
Joliet Catholic High School (1938)
University of Notre Dame (1942)
Occupation & Employer
Recent graduate
Service Life
Entered Service
June 3, 1942 (enlisted)
March 10, 1943 (commission)
Home Of Record
704 Western Avenue
Joliet, IL
Next Of Kin
Father, Mr. Joseph J. Smith
Military Specialty
Pilot
Individual Decorations
—
Loss And Burial
Circumstances Of Loss
After earning his wings and Marine Corps commission at NATC Corpus Christi, Lieutenant Robert G. Smith joined VMF-114 at El Toro, California. In October 1943, the squadron moved to Ewa Field, Oahu, Hawaii, for additional training before a brief deployment to Midway. The “Death Dealers” returned to Ewa in February 1944 and prepared for their trip to the South Pacific.
The Ewa flight schedule for 27 February 1944 was routine – in fact, nothing of note was recorded in the Air Station’s war diary save a minor mishap on the first of the month. Pilots from VMF-114 took off for a regular morning training flight, and all seemed well as they practiced tactics and aerobatics. However, as Lieutenant Smith completed a complicated Immelman turn, his Corsair suddenly nosed over and plummeted straight down into the sea, exploding on impact. Water closed over the wreckage at 0840 hours; no trace of the pilot could be seen.
Lieutenant Smith was reported killed in the accident, and his aircraft (F4U-1 #17904) was stricken from Navy records. A progressive stall was blamed for the crash.
Burial Information or Disposition
None; remains not recovered.
Memorials
Next Of Kin Address
Address of father, Mr. Joseph Smith.
Location Of Loss
Reported location of the crash, about 1.5 miles north of MCAS Kaneohe Bay
