James was the son of Ella Spears and Thomas Stutts. His family moved to High Point, NC, in the 1930s. He likely joined the Army Air Force in 1943 and attended aerial gunnery school. By the summer of 1944, he was assigned as a B-17 ball turret gunner and stationed with the 524th Bomb Squadron, 379th Bomb Group (H), at Kimbolton Field, England.
On 12 July 1944, Sergeant Stutts was the ball turret gunner on B-17G, #42-38192, during a bombing mission at Munich, Germany. Based upon the Missing Air Crew Report, the aircraft sustained heavy flak damage over the target area and was last seen going down in a controlled flight at 1430 hours near Bourg-Bruche, France. The post-war report provides that three of the four engines were lost and the pilot attempted to fly the plane to Switzerland. However, the plane crashed at 1500 hours near the town of Feldburg, approximately 18 kilometers SE of Freiburg-Breisgau, Germany. Eight of the nine aircrew members were killed on impact. Those KIA were 2Lt Bruce A. Hutchins (Pilot), 2Lt Robert H. Webber (Co-Pilot), 2Lt James R. Haile (Navigator), Sgt Grover J. Bowen (Nose Gunner/Togglier), SSgt Robert L. Shaffer (Radio Op), SSgt George N. White (Engineer/Top Turret Gunner), Sgt Harry I. Degenhart (Waist Gunner) and Sgt Walter E. Collins (Tail Gunner). Sgt Stutts (Ball Turret Gunner), the only survivor, was held as a POW until April 1945.
After his military service, James returned to High Point, NC. His death record reflects that he was married to Vera Cecil Stutts and was a telephone lineman. He died after an accidental fall from a telephone pole. His parents are buried nearby.
On 12 July 1944, Sergeant Stutts was the ball turret gunner on B-17G, #42-38192, during a bombing mission at Munich, Germany. Based upon the Missing Air Crew Report, the aircraft sustained heavy flak damage over the target area and was last seen going down in a controlled flight at 1430 hours near Bourg-Bruche, France. The post-war report provides that three of the four engines were lost and the pilot attempted to fly the plane to Switzerland. However, the plane crashed at 1500 hours near the town of Feldburg, approximately 18 kilometers SE of Freiburg-Breisgau, Germany. Eight of the nine aircrew members were killed on impact. Those KIA were 2Lt Bruce A. Hutchins (Pilot), 2Lt Robert H. Webber (Co-Pilot), 2Lt James R. Haile (Navigator), Sgt Grover J. Bowen (Nose Gunner/Togglier), SSgt Robert L. Shaffer (Radio Op), SSgt George N. White (Engineer/Top Turret Gunner), Sgt Harry I. Degenhart (Waist Gunner) and Sgt Walter E. Collins (Tail Gunner). Sgt Stutts (Ball Turret Gunner), the only survivor, was held as a POW until April 1945.
After his military service, James returned to High Point, NC. His death record reflects that he was married to Vera Cecil Stutts and was a telephone lineman. He died after an accidental fall from a telephone pole. His parents are buried nearby.
James was the son of Ella Spears and Thomas Stutts. His family moved to High Point, NC, in the 1930s. He likely joined the Army Air Force in 1943 and attended aerial gunnery school. By the summer of 1944, he was assigned as a B-17 ball turret gunner and stationed with the 524th Bomb Squadron, 379th Bomb Group (H), at Kimbolton Field, England.
On 12 July 1944, Sergeant Stutts was the ball turret gunner on B-17G, #42-38192, during a bombing mission at Munich, Germany. Based upon the Missing Air Crew Report, the aircraft sustained heavy flak damage over the target area and was last seen going down in a controlled flight at 1430 hours near Bourg-Bruche, France. The post-war report provides that three of the four engines were lost and the pilot attempted to fly the plane to Switzerland. However, the plane crashed at 1500 hours near the town of Feldburg, approximately 18 kilometers SE of Freiburg-Breisgau, Germany. Eight of the nine aircrew members were killed on impact. Those KIA were 2Lt Bruce A. Hutchins (Pilot), 2Lt Robert H. Webber (Co-Pilot), 2Lt James R. Haile (Navigator), Sgt Grover J. Bowen (Nose Gunner/Togglier), SSgt Robert L. Shaffer (Radio Op), SSgt George N. White (Engineer/Top Turret Gunner), Sgt Harry I. Degenhart (Waist Gunner) and Sgt Walter E. Collins (Tail Gunner). Sgt Stutts (Ball Turret Gunner), the only survivor, was held as a POW until April 1945.
After his military service, James returned to High Point, NC. His death record reflects that he was married to Vera Cecil Stutts and was a telephone lineman. He died after an accidental fall from a telephone pole. His parents are buried nearby.
On 12 July 1944, Sergeant Stutts was the ball turret gunner on B-17G, #42-38192, during a bombing mission at Munich, Germany. Based upon the Missing Air Crew Report, the aircraft sustained heavy flak damage over the target area and was last seen going down in a controlled flight at 1430 hours near Bourg-Bruche, France. The post-war report provides that three of the four engines were lost and the pilot attempted to fly the plane to Switzerland. However, the plane crashed at 1500 hours near the town of Feldburg, approximately 18 kilometers SE of Freiburg-Breisgau, Germany. Eight of the nine aircrew members were killed on impact. Those KIA were 2Lt Bruce A. Hutchins (Pilot), 2Lt Robert H. Webber (Co-Pilot), 2Lt James R. Haile (Navigator), Sgt Grover J. Bowen (Nose Gunner/Togglier), SSgt Robert L. Shaffer (Radio Op), SSgt George N. White (Engineer/Top Turret Gunner), Sgt Harry I. Degenhart (Waist Gunner) and Sgt Walter E. Collins (Tail Gunner). Sgt Stutts (Ball Turret Gunner), the only survivor, was held as a POW until April 1945.
After his military service, James returned to High Point, NC. His death record reflects that he was married to Vera Cecil Stutts and was a telephone lineman. He died after an accidental fall from a telephone pole. His parents are buried nearby.
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