Further to the meaning of KIA, if you ever see the similar terms, MIA or WIA, that's missing in action, and wounded in action, and of course, strictly speaking Edwin was MIA, in the sense that his final resting place is either unknown or that he was known to have been lost over the sea, or over the desert probably behind enemy lines.
Although in his case MIA might mean something such as he was known to have been KIA as opposed to his final circumstances not being known, in which case he would be listed as KIA, which appears to have probably been the case, but the paperwork should confirm that.
ETO and MTO are European Theatre of Operations and Mediterranean Theatre of Operations .
What do you mean by, "looking for further informatiion...", do you mean just military information, or also general biographical information. ?
Edwin C. Smithers was born in 1915 in New Jersey, he had attended college for 3 years and he was single when he enlisted.
At the time of his enlistment he was resident in San Bernardino County in California.
He enlisted at March Field Army Air Corps Airfield in Riverside in California as an enlisted rank Army Air Corps Aviation Cadet enlisted serial number 19039232 on 21st July 1941, so he was a pre war career officer.
http://tinyurl.com/pv4lw6a ...
http://tinyurl.com/pm3qj2wYou can get a copy of his birth certificate here...
http://www.state.nj.us/health/vital/start.shtmlOops, well not exactly, it turns out that he was adopted, but perhaps you might be able to get a copy of his adoptive birth certificate, or it's equivalent.
His service number as an officer was O-436018
He was also awarded the Air Medal and two oak leaf clusters. In other words, he was decorated for bravery three times.
He flew Spitfires.
On 10th November 1942 he and two other officers from his unit were interned in Spanish Morocco for breaching neutrality, they were returned to their unit after 3 1/2 months.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_protectorate_in_Morocc...They were flying to North Africa from Gibraltar in poor weather conditions.
http://tinyurl.com/pfnlbkeThe Spanish Air Force being able to force a flight of 3 Spitfires to land ?, I don't think so.
My guess is that in such circumstances they were under orders to comply with Spanish instructions to land, in order not to anger the Spanish government and perhaps provoke Spain into an alliance with Germany and Italy, and they weren't the only American aircrew who were interned in that region during that time.
On 25th Feb 1944, one of the officers with whom he had been interned,O-410654 Lee M. Trowbridge, who in 1944 was a Captain , became the Commanding Officer of the 4th Fighter Squadron.
He survived the war and served in Korea and Vietnam and became a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force, he died in Florida in 2001 aged 81.
http://tinyurl.com/o5j9hl2The other internee officer was Lieutenant O-427001 Edward M. Scott who later became a Captain and was killed on 20th October 1943 when his aircraft, which had developed a coolant leak, crashed on landing.
At that time the squadron was at Boccadifalco, aka Bocca Di Falco, near Palermo in Sicily, Capt. Scott isn't listed by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
That's because, contrary to the practice of the British Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the ABMC has the bizarre policy of only listing U.S. casualties who are buried or commemmorated in American military cemeteries.
The ABMC's blurb says,..." Established by Congress in 1923, the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) commemorates the service, achievements, and sacrifice of U.S. armed forces. ".
Well no it doesn't, at least not if they were buried in a non military cemetery.
The remains of Captain Edward Monroe Scott were repatriated to the U.S. at the request of his next of kin and he is buried in Larned Cemetery in Kansas, so what the ABMC failed to do, a free website and a volunteer member of the public did instead.
http://tinyurl.com/pbgp7ycOn 24th March 1943 Spitire mark Vc (= mark i.e. model 5c) serial number ES360 that he was flying, crashed on take off from Youks Les Bains, in Algeria.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youks-les-Bains_Airfieldhttp://tinyurl.com/ounetx9 ...
http://tinyurl.com/odxwup5 ...
http://tinyurl.com/pq7zd35The 52nd Fighter Group, and the 4th Fighter Squadron was based there from 8/9th March 1943 to 12/14th April 1943.
From April 1943 they were based at Le Sers in Tunisia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Sers_AirfieldMark c was the tropical variant of the Spitfire mark V.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_Spitfire_(early_Me...http://tinyurl.com/nbyvah4 ...
http://tinyurl.com/qjn5koc ...
http://tinyurl.com/nj5ysf6http://tinyurl.com/oeueuhw ...
http://tinyurl.com/nf2t2fbThere is a document that you can order from The National Archives of America aka NARA.
It is the report of the circumstances of his final mission and casualty status on 19th April 1943.
It's called a MACR = Missing Air Crew Report.
Go here...
http://www.archives.gov/research/military/ww2/missing-air-cr...From there go to the microfilm catalogue search page and then search the microfilm catalogue for M1380.
On the search results page for that search, click on the blue Publication Title text next to the Publication Number M1380AD
It's the 6th entry down from the top of the list.
Then follow the ordering procedure and order MACR number 16384
There isn't an obvious listing for him in the 1940 U.S. census, but this is him, and the names might be familiar to you.
The census enumerator wrongly listed his forename as Edward.
It's not hugely legible, but this is what I read it as saying.
234 Dorer Avenue, Hillside, Union County, New Jersey.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillside,_New_JerseyHe was an alumnus of Muhlenberg College in Pennsylvania.
http://www.muhlenberg.edu/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhlenberg_CollegeCornelius Smithers ( Head ) aged 63 born New Jersey a Chief Engineer at a Tool Company
It sounds like he was born on 13th December 1876.
Lena A. Smithers ( Wife ) aged 64 born New York
Edward Smithers ( Son ) aged 24 born New Jersey 3 years of college and currently listed as a student
Yep, that's them, same details in the 1930 census, but, Edwin is listed as their adopted son.
http://tinyurl.com/mry3jv3In 1930 he is listed as Edwin C. Smithers, his father is Cornelius, his mother is Lena ( A, K, or T ? ) her second forename initial isn't very legible.
Cornelius's parents were born in England, Lena's parents were both born somewhere illegible in France.
It looks like Mt Billiard or something similar.
Might that be Montgailliard. ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MontgaillardCornelius and Lena were married when they were 18 so circa 1894.
In 1920 they're in Essex New Jersey, and Edwin aged 4 is listed as their adopted son, and there's a daughter Eugenia C. Smithers aged 22, a government stenographer, born in New Jersey.
You've probably already got that stuff.