James served as a Second Lieutenant & Tail Gunner on B-17G "Iron Bird" #42-31352, 728th Bomber Squadron, 452nd Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
It was unusual for a Second Lieutenant to serve as a Tail Gunner. James was normally a Pilot and/or Co-Pilot. Since Major Oxrider was on the plane serving as the Co-Pilot James apparently decided to serve as the Tail Gunner.
He resided in Erie County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on September 25, 1942 in Buffalo, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents.
B-17G "Iron Bird" #42-31352 was the lead plane of a formation of B-17's under the command of Major George James Oxrider, Jr.
The formation was attacked and this B-17 was hit which disabled the #2 & 3 engines. Both inboard engines caught fire and the pilot pulled the nose up, held it briefly and did a whipstall to extinguish the fire.
The plane was seen pulling out of the dive under control, however something went wrong and the aircraft crashed into the Baltic Sea off Laaland, Denmark killing all 10 on-board.
James was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
James was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was repatriated here in Forest Lawn on June 18, 1949.
Service # O-687301
The body of James C. Hudson was recovered on August 8, 1944 in the Baltic Sea of Puenitz and was first interred in Ardennes American Military Cemetery. His remains, along with Major Oxrider's & S/Sgt Ridge's, were the only ones recovered from this crash.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-31352:
Browne, Jack D ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, WY
Burton, Norman H ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, WA
Hudson, James C ~ 2nd Lt, Tail Gunner, NY
Krementz, Edward J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IN
Leslie, Edward V ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL
Mattingly, Howard T ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, MD
Mayek, John W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WI
Oxrider, George J ~ Maj, Co-Pilot, OH
Phillips, Marshall V ~ S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, TX
Ridge, Wymond B ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, IN
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
Special thanks to:
Jay Boone for submitting this record for bio updates!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was unusual for a Second Lieutenant to serve as a Tail Gunner. James was normally a Pilot and/or Co-Pilot. Since Major Oxrider was on the plane serving as the Co-Pilot James apparently decided to serve as the Tail Gunner.
He resided in Erie County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on September 25, 1942 in Buffalo, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents.
B-17G "Iron Bird" #42-31352 was the lead plane of a formation of B-17's under the command of Major George James Oxrider, Jr.
The formation was attacked and this B-17 was hit which disabled the #2 & 3 engines. Both inboard engines caught fire and the pilot pulled the nose up, held it briefly and did a whipstall to extinguish the fire.
The plane was seen pulling out of the dive under control, however something went wrong and the aircraft crashed into the Baltic Sea off Laaland, Denmark killing all 10 on-board.
James was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
James was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was repatriated here in Forest Lawn on June 18, 1949.
Service # O-687301
The body of James C. Hudson was recovered on August 8, 1944 in the Baltic Sea of Puenitz and was first interred in Ardennes American Military Cemetery. His remains, along with Major Oxrider's & S/Sgt Ridge's, were the only ones recovered from this crash.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-31352:
Browne, Jack D ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, WY
Burton, Norman H ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, WA
Hudson, James C ~ 2nd Lt, Tail Gunner, NY
Krementz, Edward J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IN
Leslie, Edward V ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL
Mattingly, Howard T ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, MD
Mayek, John W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WI
Oxrider, George J ~ Maj, Co-Pilot, OH
Phillips, Marshall V ~ S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, TX
Ridge, Wymond B ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, IN
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
Special thanks to:
Jay Boone for submitting this record for bio updates!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James served as a Second Lieutenant & Tail Gunner on B-17G "Iron Bird" #42-31352, 728th Bomber Squadron, 452nd Bomber Group, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
It was unusual for a Second Lieutenant to serve as a Tail Gunner. James was normally a Pilot and/or Co-Pilot. Since Major Oxrider was on the plane serving as the Co-Pilot James apparently decided to serve as the Tail Gunner.
He resided in Erie County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on September 25, 1942 in Buffalo, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents.
B-17G "Iron Bird" #42-31352 was the lead plane of a formation of B-17's under the command of Major George James Oxrider, Jr.
The formation was attacked and this B-17 was hit which disabled the #2 & 3 engines. Both inboard engines caught fire and the pilot pulled the nose up, held it briefly and did a whipstall to extinguish the fire.
The plane was seen pulling out of the dive under control, however something went wrong and the aircraft crashed into the Baltic Sea off Laaland, Denmark killing all 10 on-board.
James was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
James was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was repatriated here in Forest Lawn on June 18, 1949.
Service # O-687301
The body of James C. Hudson was recovered on August 8, 1944 in the Baltic Sea of Puenitz and was first interred in Ardennes American Military Cemetery. His remains, along with Major Oxrider's & S/Sgt Ridge's, were the only ones recovered from this crash.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-31352:
Browne, Jack D ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, WY
Burton, Norman H ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, WA
Hudson, James C ~ 2nd Lt, Tail Gunner, NY
Krementz, Edward J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IN
Leslie, Edward V ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL
Mattingly, Howard T ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, MD
Mayek, John W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WI
Oxrider, George J ~ Maj, Co-Pilot, OH
Phillips, Marshall V ~ S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, TX
Ridge, Wymond B ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, IN
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
Special thanks to:
Jay Boone for submitting this record for bio updates!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was unusual for a Second Lieutenant to serve as a Tail Gunner. James was normally a Pilot and/or Co-Pilot. Since Major Oxrider was on the plane serving as the Co-Pilot James apparently decided to serve as the Tail Gunner.
He resided in Erie County, New York prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army Air Corps on September 25, 1942 in Buffalo, New York. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Single, without dependents.
B-17G "Iron Bird" #42-31352 was the lead plane of a formation of B-17's under the command of Major George James Oxrider, Jr.
The formation was attacked and this B-17 was hit which disabled the #2 & 3 engines. Both inboard engines caught fire and the pilot pulled the nose up, held it briefly and did a whipstall to extinguish the fire.
The plane was seen pulling out of the dive under control, however something went wrong and the aircraft crashed into the Baltic Sea off Laaland, Denmark killing all 10 on-board.
James was "Killed In Action" in this crash during the war.
James was awarded the Air Medal and the Purple Heart.
He was repatriated here in Forest Lawn on June 18, 1949.
Service # O-687301
The body of James C. Hudson was recovered on August 8, 1944 in the Baltic Sea of Puenitz and was first interred in Ardennes American Military Cemetery. His remains, along with Major Oxrider's & S/Sgt Ridge's, were the only ones recovered from this crash.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-31352:
Browne, Jack D ~ S/Sgt, Right Waist Gunner, WY
Burton, Norman H ~ Sgt, Ball Turret Gunner, WA
Hudson, James C ~ 2nd Lt, Tail Gunner, NY
Krementz, Edward J ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, IN
Leslie, Edward V ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, IL
Mattingly, Howard T ~ 1st Lt, Navigator, MD
Mayek, John W ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, WI
Oxrider, George J ~ Maj, Co-Pilot, OH
Phillips, Marshall V ~ S/Sgt, Left Waist Gunner, TX
Ridge, Wymond B ~ S/Sgt, Top Turret Gunner, IN
Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett
Special thanks to:
Jay Boone for submitting this record for bio updates!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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