Tec 5 Frank W. Smith, Jr. (1921-1944) 20660351

FRANK W. SMITH, Jr. was born on September 30, 1921 in Lansing, Ingham, Michigan, the son of Frank W. Smith, Sr. (1892-1981) and Roxanna "Roxie" Brown (1886-1940). They divorced after a short time. FRANK had one half-brother, Richard Gleason.

In 1930, Roxie, and sons FRANK SMITH, Jr. and Richard Gleason were "roomers" with Wirt Milner in Lansing. Roxie worked as a housekeeper for a private family. Roxie died in June 1940.

FRANK enlisted in the National Guard in Lansing, Michigan on April 7, 1941. He would be attached to the 92nd Chemical Mortar Battalion, serving in the European Theater of Operation.

On August 29, 1942, FRANK W. SMITH, Jr. married Ida Belle Smith of Lebanon, Laclede, Missouri, whom he no doubt met while stationed at Fort Leonard Wood. Their son Terry Wayne Smith was born in October 1943.

The 92nd Chemical Mortar Battalion was activated on February 9, 1944 at Brockley Combe, England. Training would take place from February to June 1944. On December 15, 1944, the unit was redesignated as the Chemical Mortar Battalion.

Campaigns; Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe, Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland.

The unit was still in reorganization when D-Day took place. The 92nd arrived in France on June 28, 1944 (D-Day + 22). They embarked on June 20 towards Normandy on board a Liberty ship. There were tremendous storms in the Channel at the time, and it was eight days before they were able to disembark in small craft.

From an online article about the history of the 92nd we find the following chaos surrounding the disembarkation: "We lined up bumper to bumper with tanks, ordnance trucks, ambulances, weapons carriers, and crawled inland. An MP at a crossroads waved us into a field and there we were gradually sorted out." The unit would be attached to the 30th Infantry Division.

From there they would be in support of the 4th and the 83rd Division near Carentan. The next day they were attached to the 1st, 4th and 9th Division for the attack at St. Lo.

August: "busy month for all the mortar battalions." By August 25, the companies were in assembly areas, after long marches in the area of Etampes, Corbeil and Arpajon.

August 26: Liberation of Paris

August 27: The Battalion crossed the Seine in pursuit of the Germans.

"During this period from D-Day to 1 September, the chemical battalions expended almost 150,000 rounds of HE [high explosives] and about 90,000 rounds of WP [white phosphorus, nicknamed "Willy Pete"]. Battalion casualties: 55 killed, 137 wounded and three missing."

September 8: Entered Belgium just north of Valenciennes, France; bivouac at Momalle.

September 15: Moved into positions on the bank of the Albert Canal, across from Maastricht, Holland; the 30th Division cleared the area around Eben Email. Meuse River was crossed. The battalion assembled in the area of Mesch, Holland.

September 19: Scherpensel, Germany- the battalion went into positions in the orchards to support the 30th Division on its attack through the Siegfried Line.

October 2: The first mission during this attack was to cut the barbed wire in front of the enemy defenses. Then a rolling barrage was fired in front of the advancing infantry. Later, the battalion fired missions on the flanks of the infantry positions to deny enemy observation and stop counter attacks. "At the end of the operation part of the battalion was in or near Kerkrade, Holland and the remainder was near Wurselen, Germany. Both cities were part of the gap which sealed off Aachen, Germany." The unit received a commendation for this operation.

November 7: The Battalion (less one company) was attached to the 29th Division to support the drive to the Roer River. Little rest was possible.

"Some of the toughest fighting of the war took place during this operation which carried the American forces to the west bank of the Roer. There was difficulty supporting the infantry. Little cover was available and the infantry commanders wanted the mortar companies in the front lines." There was a "limited number of mortar crewmen, especially after frequent casualties had depleted the squads."

It was during this time of fierce fighting, that on November 10, 1944, Tec 5 FRANK W. SMITH, Jr. was killed in action.

Tec 5 FRANK W. SMITH, Jr. was buried in the Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, Limburg, Netherlands; Block K, Row 10, Grave 18.

FRANK's widow, Ida, was remarried after the war. She married Russell White. She died in 1996. The son of FRANK and Ida, Terry Wayne Smith, died in 2012.

U.S. Census Reports, 1930

U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946

4point2.org/92cmb.htm

4point2.org/92_BirthBaptism.pdf

92_CBHistory.pdf

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56303992/frank_w_smith

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