James served as a Second Lieutenant & Pilot on B-24D #42-41155, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Bay County, Florida prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 20, 1942 at Dale Mabry Field, Tallahassee, Florida. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Retail manager and also as Married.
B-24D #42-41155 took off, with a crew of 10, from Munda Airfield (APO #709), New Georgia, Western Province, Solomon Islands on a bombing mission to attacking shipping off New Ireland Island, Papua New Guinea.
They were attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled the #1 & #2 engines and they eventually had to make a crash landing into the sea off New Ireland Island.
James was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash landing during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart.
Service ID: O-670697.
~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-41155:
Cutway, Willis M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Eagan, Charles M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Esposito, Francesco ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McMillan, Meredith M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, TX
Sullivan, Donald E ~ Sgt, Gunner, NY
Wilson, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
2nd Lt. Robert M. Pandzic (Navigator), 2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier), T/Sgt. Gerald Millar (Engineer), and S/Sgt. Robert B. Carpenter (Gunner) all survived the crash and were later picked up and returned to base.
2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier) just a month later was serving as the Bombardier on B-24D #41-24186. This B-24 was shot down and he became a POW of the Japanese Army. He was held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152. He was "Executed" in what became known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre" on March 5, 1944.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
He resided in Bay County, Florida prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 20, 1942 at Dale Mabry Field, Tallahassee, Florida. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Retail manager and also as Married.
B-24D #42-41155 took off, with a crew of 10, from Munda Airfield (APO #709), New Georgia, Western Province, Solomon Islands on a bombing mission to attacking shipping off New Ireland Island, Papua New Guinea.
They were attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled the #1 & #2 engines and they eventually had to make a crash landing into the sea off New Ireland Island.
James was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash landing during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart.
Service ID: O-670697.
~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-41155:
Cutway, Willis M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Eagan, Charles M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Esposito, Francesco ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McMillan, Meredith M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, TX
Sullivan, Donald E ~ Sgt, Gunner, NY
Wilson, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
2nd Lt. Robert M. Pandzic (Navigator), 2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier), T/Sgt. Gerald Millar (Engineer), and S/Sgt. Robert B. Carpenter (Gunner) all survived the crash and were later picked up and returned to base.
2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier) just a month later was serving as the Bombardier on B-24D #41-24186. This B-24 was shot down and he became a POW of the Japanese Army. He was held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152. He was "Executed" in what became known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre" on March 5, 1944.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
James served as a Second Lieutenant & Pilot on B-24D #42-41155, 72nd Bomber Squadron, 5th Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
He resided in Bay County, Florida prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 20, 1942 at Dale Mabry Field, Tallahassee, Florida. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Retail manager and also as Married.
B-24D #42-41155 took off, with a crew of 10, from Munda Airfield (APO #709), New Georgia, Western Province, Solomon Islands on a bombing mission to attacking shipping off New Ireland Island, Papua New Guinea.
They were attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled the #1 & #2 engines and they eventually had to make a crash landing into the sea off New Ireland Island.
James was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash landing during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart.
Service ID: O-670697.
~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-41155:
Cutway, Willis M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Eagan, Charles M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Esposito, Francesco ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McMillan, Meredith M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, TX
Sullivan, Donald E ~ Sgt, Gunner, NY
Wilson, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
2nd Lt. Robert M. Pandzic (Navigator), 2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier), T/Sgt. Gerald Millar (Engineer), and S/Sgt. Robert B. Carpenter (Gunner) all survived the crash and were later picked up and returned to base.
2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier) just a month later was serving as the Bombardier on B-24D #41-24186. This B-24 was shot down and he became a POW of the Japanese Army. He was held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152. He was "Executed" in what became known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre" on March 5, 1944.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
He resided in Bay County, Florida prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on March 20, 1942 at Dale Mabry Field, Tallahassee, Florida. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Retail manager and also as Married.
B-24D #42-41155 took off, with a crew of 10, from Munda Airfield (APO #709), New Georgia, Western Province, Solomon Islands on a bombing mission to attacking shipping off New Ireland Island, Papua New Guinea.
They were attacked by enemy aircraft which disabled the #1 & #2 engines and they eventually had to make a crash landing into the sea off New Ireland Island.
James was declared "Missing In Action" in this crash landing during the war.
He was awarded the Air Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart.
Service ID: O-670697.
~
Airmen who perished on B-24D #42-41155:
Cutway, Willis M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, NY
Eagan, Charles M ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Esposito, Francesco ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, NY
McMillan, Meredith M ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, TX
Sullivan, Donald E ~ Sgt, Gunner, NY
Wilson, James R ~ 2nd Lt, Pilot, FL
2nd Lt. Robert M. Pandzic (Navigator), 2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier), T/Sgt. Gerald Millar (Engineer), and S/Sgt. Robert B. Carpenter (Gunner) all survived the crash and were later picked up and returned to base.
2nd Lt. Anthony Kuhn (Bombardier) just a month later was serving as the Bombardier on B-24D #41-24186. This B-24 was shot down and he became a POW of the Japanese Army. He was held at the Rabaul Pow Camp, Rabaul, New Britain 4-152. He was "Executed" in what became known as the "Tunnel Hill Massacre" on March 5, 1944.
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
