David N. Smith and Stan Carr at Earl Carroll's Theatre in Hollywood on August 6th 1943. Eighteen days later they would both go in the drink near Hawaii.

On August 18th 1943 the squadron loaded onto the USS Barnes (escort carrier CVE-20) which would take them from NAS North Island San Diego to Hilo Hawaii. On August 24th as they neared Hawaii several planes were launched (submarine patrol?), including David's. David's plane made a deck run (not catapulted) and for whatever reason they never achieved flying speed and went in to the drink. David and AOM3c Stan Carr had to help Lt Merrell as he had left his life jacket in the back of the plane.

According to AOM3c Robert Yount who witnessed it (as told to William Carr in 1991) "Carr popped out right away and Smith followed… it was like driving your car off a dock". The plane sank in about 45 seconds. Two minutes later the two depth charges they carried exploded. The accident report states that "Although severe shock was felt by this vessel and the escort vessel, the personnel in the water reported no physical effect".

*Note: After this incident David was taken off the aircrew as he was the only technician in the squadron. "I was not a qualified radioman so I requested to be left on the ground" (1991 letter to William Carr).

Accident report on the Aug 24th ditching (pg1)

Accident report (pg2)

USS Barnes (CVE-20)

USS Barnes Deck Log for Aug 24th

USS Chew (DD-106)

In the water with David Smith was pilot Ltjg Norm Merrell and AOM3c Stan Carr. The escort destroyer USS Chew picked them up.

David Newton Smith