B-29s of the 499th Bomb Group were identified by
V Square
on the tail

The 1st Lt Edmund G Smith crew came together at
Smoky Hill Army Air Field (SHAAF), Salina, Kansas during the Spring or Summer of 1944.
In Field Order 288 ( first document ) they are listed as a Theatre Replacement Crew.

There are no movement orders stating how and when they departed SHAAF .
Based on Lt Grace's dental records, he was at Herington AAF
between 6 and 27 November 1944.

Morning Reports indicate that at some point they
were transferred to Lincoln AAF, Lincoln, Nebraska.

There are no available documents indicating if they flew a B-29 to Saipan

or
were part of the Air Echelon,
travelling by rail to Hamilton AAF, Novato , California.

From there they would fly on a C-54 across the Pacific to Saipan.

They arrived at Saipan on 21 December 1944.
( two Morning Reports are below )

Lt Smith's first mission was 24 December 1944 with
499th Bomb Group B-29 V Square 23.

His next four missions were split between V-31 and V-27.

These were in January 1945: 9th, 19th, 23rd, and 27th.
V-27 was usually flown by Lt John Cox.

There are no load lists to determine which men were on any of these missions.
The exception is the 27 January 1945 Mission #22 on B-29 V-27.

The next-to-last document is a page from the 878th Bomb Squadron History
covering the period January - March 1945.
The Smith Crew is noted.

At the very bottom is one page from the Tobu Army District Report
compiled by POW Research Network Japan.

FIELD ORDER 288
SMOKY HILL ARMY AIR FIELD
14 OCTOBER 1944

THEATRE REPLACEMENT CREWS
SMITH CREW #29

source : Rick Feldman

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878TH BOMB SQUADRON MORNING REPORT
SAIPAN, M I
21 DECEMBER 1944
PAGE 1

source: National Archives St Louis Missouri
Roy Wall

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878TH BOMB SQUADRON MORNING REPORT
SAIPAN, M I
21 DECEMBER 1944
PAGE 2

source: National Archives St Louis Missouri
Roy Wall

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499TH BOMB GROUP NARRATIVE HISTORY
REEL B0665
PAGE 332
SMITH CREW IS LISTED AT BOTTOM

source: Air Force Historical Research Agency

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TOBU ARMY DISTRICT REPORT
PAGE 6

source: POW Research Network Japan

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