Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-109991:
Bailey, Eugene W ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MN
Bohman, William, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Cranmer, Harold H, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, NY
Dillon, Gilbert L ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, KS
Ervin, James L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, AR
Katzen, Lester L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, IL
Kenyon, Albert S ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Petty, Julian A ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CO
Thompson, Warren W ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OK
Towery, William M ~ Sgt, Gunner, ID
B-24J #42-109991 was seen by others to crash approximately 5 miles north of Jamna Island, Papua New Guinea while returning from a combat mission. The entire crew was lost.
( Above Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He completed High School and 1 year of college, then worked as a clerk prior to enlisting in the US Army Air Corp.
SSG Ervin enlisted into the US Army Air Corp on 3 February, 1942 in Alabama. After his initial training, he was later assigned to the 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group.
The 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group was established in 1940 and activated in 1941 as a bomber squadron. Initially, the squadron was equipped with both early model B-17C/D Flying Fortress heavy bombers and B-18 Bolo medium bombers.
After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron was deployed to New England and began flying antisubmarine missions from Bangor Airport over the Newfoundland Straits and performing aerial convoy patrols over the North Atlantic shipping lanes.
Later, the 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group deployed to Australia in February 1942 but did not enter combat until September, 1942. From then, September 1942 until November 1944, the squadron operated in support of the campaign against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea.
Between May and September 1943, the squadron's B-17s were replaced with B-24 Liberators and the missions continued.
Records indicate that between 1942-1944, SSG ERVIN was assigned to various air bases within Australia and New Guinea. On his last mission, he was a crew member of a B-24 Liberator, Serial-Tail Number -91 that was lost on 4 June 1944, along with the following crew members: 1LT Julian Petty, 2LT William Bohman, 2LT Lester Katzen, and 2LT Albert Kenyon along with TSgt Eugene Bailey, TSgt Harold Cranmer and SSgts Gilbert Dillon, Warren Thompson and Sgt. William Tower.
SSG Ervin's name appears on the Tablets of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. He is recipient of Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, and additional Army Awards.
Bailey, Eugene W ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MN
Bohman, William, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Cranmer, Harold H, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, NY
Dillon, Gilbert L ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, KS
Ervin, James L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, AR
Katzen, Lester L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, IL
Kenyon, Albert S ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Petty, Julian A ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CO
Thompson, Warren W ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OK
Towery, William M ~ Sgt, Gunner, ID
B-24J #42-109991 was seen by others to crash approximately 5 miles north of Jamna Island, Papua New Guinea while returning from a combat mission. The entire crew was lost.
( Above Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He completed High School and 1 year of college, then worked as a clerk prior to enlisting in the US Army Air Corp.
SSG Ervin enlisted into the US Army Air Corp on 3 February, 1942 in Alabama. After his initial training, he was later assigned to the 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group.
The 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group was established in 1940 and activated in 1941 as a bomber squadron. Initially, the squadron was equipped with both early model B-17C/D Flying Fortress heavy bombers and B-18 Bolo medium bombers.
After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron was deployed to New England and began flying antisubmarine missions from Bangor Airport over the Newfoundland Straits and performing aerial convoy patrols over the North Atlantic shipping lanes.
Later, the 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group deployed to Australia in February 1942 but did not enter combat until September, 1942. From then, September 1942 until November 1944, the squadron operated in support of the campaign against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea.
Between May and September 1943, the squadron's B-17s were replaced with B-24 Liberators and the missions continued.
Records indicate that between 1942-1944, SSG ERVIN was assigned to various air bases within Australia and New Guinea. On his last mission, he was a crew member of a B-24 Liberator, Serial-Tail Number -91 that was lost on 4 June 1944, along with the following crew members: 1LT Julian Petty, 2LT William Bohman, 2LT Lester Katzen, and 2LT Albert Kenyon along with TSgt Eugene Bailey, TSgt Harold Cranmer and SSgts Gilbert Dillon, Warren Thompson and Sgt. William Tower.
SSG Ervin's name appears on the Tablets of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. He is recipient of Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, and additional Army Awards.
Airmen who perished on B-24J #42-109991:
Bailey, Eugene W ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MN
Bohman, William, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Cranmer, Harold H, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, NY
Dillon, Gilbert L ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, KS
Ervin, James L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, AR
Katzen, Lester L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, IL
Kenyon, Albert S ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Petty, Julian A ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CO
Thompson, Warren W ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OK
Towery, William M ~ Sgt, Gunner, ID
B-24J #42-109991 was seen by others to crash approximately 5 miles north of Jamna Island, Papua New Guinea while returning from a combat mission. The entire crew was lost.
( Above Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He completed High School and 1 year of college, then worked as a clerk prior to enlisting in the US Army Air Corp.
SSG Ervin enlisted into the US Army Air Corp on 3 February, 1942 in Alabama. After his initial training, he was later assigned to the 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group.
The 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group was established in 1940 and activated in 1941 as a bomber squadron. Initially, the squadron was equipped with both early model B-17C/D Flying Fortress heavy bombers and B-18 Bolo medium bombers.
After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron was deployed to New England and began flying antisubmarine missions from Bangor Airport over the Newfoundland Straits and performing aerial convoy patrols over the North Atlantic shipping lanes.
Later, the 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group deployed to Australia in February 1942 but did not enter combat until September, 1942. From then, September 1942 until November 1944, the squadron operated in support of the campaign against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea.
Between May and September 1943, the squadron's B-17s were replaced with B-24 Liberators and the missions continued.
Records indicate that between 1942-1944, SSG ERVIN was assigned to various air bases within Australia and New Guinea. On his last mission, he was a crew member of a B-24 Liberator, Serial-Tail Number -91 that was lost on 4 June 1944, along with the following crew members: 1LT Julian Petty, 2LT William Bohman, 2LT Lester Katzen, and 2LT Albert Kenyon along with TSgt Eugene Bailey, TSgt Harold Cranmer and SSgts Gilbert Dillon, Warren Thompson and Sgt. William Tower.
SSG Ervin's name appears on the Tablets of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. He is recipient of Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, and additional Army Awards.
Bailey, Eugene W ~ T/Sgt, Radio Operator, MN
Bohman, William, Jr ~ 2nd Lt, Bombardier, OH
Cranmer, Harold H, Jr ~ T/Sgt, Engineer, NY
Dillon, Gilbert L ~ S/Sgt, Radar Operator, KS
Ervin, James L ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, AR
Katzen, Lester L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, IL
Kenyon, Albert S ~ 2nd Lt, Co-Pilot, NY
Petty, Julian A ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, CO
Thompson, Warren W ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OK
Towery, William M ~ Sgt, Gunner, ID
B-24J #42-109991 was seen by others to crash approximately 5 miles north of Jamna Island, Papua New Guinea while returning from a combat mission. The entire crew was lost.
( Above Crew Report by: Russ Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He completed High School and 1 year of college, then worked as a clerk prior to enlisting in the US Army Air Corp.
SSG Ervin enlisted into the US Army Air Corp on 3 February, 1942 in Alabama. After his initial training, he was later assigned to the 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group.
The 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group was established in 1940 and activated in 1941 as a bomber squadron. Initially, the squadron was equipped with both early model B-17C/D Flying Fortress heavy bombers and B-18 Bolo medium bombers.
After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadron was deployed to New England and began flying antisubmarine missions from Bangor Airport over the Newfoundland Straits and performing aerial convoy patrols over the North Atlantic shipping lanes.
Later, the 64th Bomber Squadron 43rd Bomber Group deployed to Australia in February 1942 but did not enter combat until September, 1942. From then, September 1942 until November 1944, the squadron operated in support of the campaign against the Japanese in Papua New Guinea.
Between May and September 1943, the squadron's B-17s were replaced with B-24 Liberators and the missions continued.
Records indicate that between 1942-1944, SSG ERVIN was assigned to various air bases within Australia and New Guinea. On his last mission, he was a crew member of a B-24 Liberator, Serial-Tail Number -91 that was lost on 4 June 1944, along with the following crew members: 1LT Julian Petty, 2LT William Bohman, 2LT Lester Katzen, and 2LT Albert Kenyon along with TSgt Eugene Bailey, TSgt Harold Cranmer and SSgts Gilbert Dillon, Warren Thompson and Sgt. William Tower.
SSG Ervin's name appears on the Tablets of the Missing in the Manila American Cemetery, Manila, Philippines. He is recipient of Purple Heart Medal, Air Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross, and additional Army Awards.
Bio by: Rick Ervin
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Arkansas.
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