Robert V. Smith

REMAINS OF AN A-20 HAVOC FOUND IN THE PO VALLEY
New interesting finding for the group Air Crash Po.

    
Fragments form the A-20

While investigating around the crash of an Allied night intruder aircraft, lost close to Brescia, central Po Valley, during the late Summer of 1944, old people have conducted Luca Merli and Diego Vezzoli in a field where, as they remembered and reported, “an airplane did crash towards the end of the war”.

After long and difficult research, the two aviation enthusiasts have been able to locate exactly the crash point of the plane, and some small debris has been brought to light.

It turns out that the remains belonged to a Douglas-Aviation-built aircraft, and thanks to exhaustive investigations in local archives, they have discovered it was a 47th BG (Light) A-20 Havoc.

A document retrieved in the local archive at Castenedolo, a small town close to Brescia, states that on the night bewteen March 18/19, 1945, an allied plane was hit and shot down in flames by a/a fire of Ghedi A/D.

Three airmen lost their lives in the crash.

By checking the AFHRA reel A-6310 (“Targets attacked by the Twelfth Air Force”) and A-6116 ( M.A.S.A.F. Intopsum), evidence was found that on that night an A-20 Havoc was lost during a night-intruder mission over the central Po Valley.

A quick search in Mark O’ Boyle’s web-site dedicated to the 47th BG (L) - his Dad served in that unit- was sufficient to identify the aircraft and the crew:

12th AF; 57thBW; 47thBG 85thBS

A-20G-30-DO; Serial#: 43-9616 

18 March 1945; MACR#: 12982

Their names and ranks:
Pilot 1st Lt. Robert V. Smith
Gunner S/Sgt. Luois J. Kocsis
Gunner S/Sgt. Peter W. Sellman

Thanks to Mrs. Patricia Johnson from Prescott Arizona, the researchers have managed to get some information and data about the three airmen, who are now buried at Florence ABMC.  Mrs. Johnson's data is the the table below.

 

All 3 were Killed In Action.  Their remains were recovered, and they were all buried in the Florence American Cemetery

I could not find any Newspaper Articles; or Military Photos; or family connections of any of these men.

12th AF; 57thBW; 47thBG 85thBS
A-20G-30-DO; Serial#: 43-9616
18 March 1945; MACR#: 12982

Pilot: 1Lt. Robert V. Smith
Gunner: S/Sgt. Louis J. Kocsis
Gunner: S/Sgt. Peter W. Sellmann


http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque_wardept.aspx?honoreeID=974972
1 LT Robert V. Smith
ID: O-765126
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Alameda, CA
Status: Killed In Action
--
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque_cemetery.aspx?honoreeID=668419
Robert V. Smith
ID: O-765126
Entered the Service From: California
Rank: First Lieutenant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 85th Bomber Squadron, 47th Bomber Group, Light
Died: Sunday, March 18, 1945
Buried at: Florence American Cemetery
Location: Via Cassia, Italy
Plot: E  Row: 14  Grave: 31
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart
--
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=smith&GSfn=robert&GSmn=v&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1945&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=56366701&df=all&;
1Lt Robert V Smith
Birth:     unknown
Death:     Mar. 18, 1945
Note: Entered the service from California.
 Burial: Florence American Cemetery and Memorial
Florence
Provincia di Firenze
Toscana, Italy
 Created by: CWGC/ABMC
Record added: Aug 07, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 56366701
--
Name: Robert V Smith
Estimated birth year: abt 1921
School: University of California
School Location: Berkeley, California
Year:     1941
Yearbook Title: The Blue and Gold Yearbook
--
https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=893&mtch=3&cat=WR26&tf=F&q=smith%2C+robert+v.+california&bc=sl&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=7599892&rlst=7599263,7599892,1640211
ARMY SERIAL NUMBER     39080430     39080430
NAME     SMITH#ROBERT#V########## SMITH#ROBERT#V##########
RESIDENCE: STATE #1 Undefined Code
RESIDENCE: COUNTY 107     Undefined Code
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT 9170 SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA
DATE OF ENLISTMENT DAY     03 03
DATE OF ENLISTMENT MONTH 06     06
DATE OF ENLISTMENT YEAR 41     41
GRADE: ALPHA DESIGNATION PVT#     Private
GRADE: CODE     8 Private
BRANCH: ALPHA DESIGNATION BI# Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
BRANCH: CODE     00 Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
FIELD USE AS DESIRED     #     #
TERM OF ENLISTMENT 0     Undefined Code
LONGEVITY ###     ###
SOURCE OF ARMY PERSONNEL 0 Civil Life
NATIVITY 91 CALIFORNIA
YEAR OF BIRTH     19 19
RACE AND CITIZENSHIP 1     White, citizen
EDUCATION 8 4 years of college
CIVILIAN OCCUPATION     002 Actors and actresses
MARITAL STATUS     6 Single, without dependents
COMPONENT OF THE ARMY     7 Selectees (Enlisted Men)
CARD NUMBER     #     #
BOX NUMBER 1388 1388
FILM REEL NUMBER 6.154     6.154
--
Name:     Robert V Smith
Birth Year:     1919
Race:     White, citizen (White)
Nativity State or Country:     California
State of Residence: California
Enlistment Date: 3 Jun 1941
Enlistment State: California
Enlistment City: Sacramento
Branch: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Branch Code: Branch Immaterial - Warrant Officers, USA
Grade:     Private
Grade Code: Private
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life     
Education: 4 years of college
Civil Occupation: Actors and actresses
Marital Status: Single, without dependents
Height: 67
Weight: 161
++++++++++
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque.aspx?honoreeID=826794
Louis J. Kocsis
BRANCH OF SERVICE
U.S. Army Air Forces
HOMETOWN
Torrington, CT
HONORED BY
Sister Louis Miriam Kocsis, Sister

ACTIVITY DURING WWII

SERVED WITH 12TH AIR FORCE. MISSING IN ACTION, NORTHERN ITALY, MARCH 18, 1945
(FAMILY RECEIVED LETTER FROM HIM DATED MARCH 18, 1945). HIS REMAINS WERE
RECOVERED AND IDENTIFIED, JULY 1945. BURIED IN FLORENCE AMERICAN CEMETERY,
FLORENCE, ITALY.
--
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque_cemetery.aspx?honoreeID=666425
Louis J. Kocsis
ID: 31341587
Entered the Service From: Connecticut
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 85th Bomber Squadron, 47th Bomber Group, Light
Died: Sunday, March 18, 1945
Buried at: Florence American Cemetery
Location: Via Cassia, Italy
Plot: E  Row: 14  Grave: 32
Awards: Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Purple Heart
--
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=kocsis&GSfn=louis&GSmn=j&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1945&GSdyrel=in&GSob=n&GRid=56364683&df=all&;
SSgt Louis J Kocsis
Birth:     unknown
Death:     Mar. 18, 1945

Note: Entered the service from Connecticut.
 
Burial: Florence American Cemetery and Memorial
Florence
Provincia di Firenze
Toscana, Italy
 
Created by: CWGC/ABMC
Record added: Aug 07, 2010
Find A Grave Memorial# 56364683
++++++++++
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque_wardept.aspx?honoreeID=1322820
S SG Peter W. Sellmann
ID: 32713433
Branch of Service: U.S. Army
Hometown: Queens County, NY
Status: Killed In Action
--
http://www.wwiimemorial.com/Registry/plaque_cemetery.aspx?honoreeID=668254
Peter W. Sellmann
ID: 32713433
Entered the Service From: New York
Rank: Staff Sergeant
Service: U.S. Army Air Forces, 85th Bomber Squadron, 47th Bomber Group, Light
Died: Sunday, March 18, 1945
Buried at: Florence American Cemetery
Location: Via Cassia, Italy
Plot: B  Row: 3   Grave: 43
Awards: Air Medal with 2 Oak Leaf Clusters

 


Document from the local authority that documented the crash.

 

Next month, a more accurate investigation will take place, with the aim to find out more remains of the plane.