He was the pilot of P-51 "San Antonio Rose" when he was Killed in Action.
Statement from 2nd Lt Cecil L. Byrd:
"On the Tuesday 5 December 1944 I was flying as Blue Leader. The mission was escort to Berlin. On the withdrawal my wingman, Lt Baker, called me and said his engine was going out and he would have bail out. At this time 1145 we were flying about 28000 ft. I talked to him on the radio in an effort to keep him in the plane a while longer hoping he could got the engine running.
He was losing altitude at a very fast rate, and when at 13000 ft I noticed black puffs of smoke at frequent intervals coming from the exhaust stacks. Nothing he did seemed to better the condition. He entered the cumulus clouds(which covered about 8/10hs) at about 10000 ft. He called when he was at 5000 ft and said he was bailing out ok at 4000 ft. I did not see him after he entered the clouds.
The place was about 10 miles west of Steinhuber Lake, close to the Weser river and the time was approximately 1154."
https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-margraten-b/47574-baker-james-a-o-822608
Contributor: ET (47514618) •
Statement from 2nd Lt Cecil L. Byrd:
"On the Tuesday 5 December 1944 I was flying as Blue Leader. The mission was escort to Berlin. On the withdrawal my wingman, Lt Baker, called me and said his engine was going out and he would have bail out. At this time 1145 we were flying about 28000 ft. I talked to him on the radio in an effort to keep him in the plane a while longer hoping he could got the engine running.
He was losing altitude at a very fast rate, and when at 13000 ft I noticed black puffs of smoke at frequent intervals coming from the exhaust stacks. Nothing he did seemed to better the condition. He entered the cumulus clouds(which covered about 8/10hs) at about 10000 ft. He called when he was at 5000 ft and said he was bailing out ok at 4000 ft. I did not see him after he entered the clouds.
The place was about 10 miles west of Steinhuber Lake, close to the Weser river and the time was approximately 1154."
https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-margraten-b/47574-baker-james-a-o-822608
Contributor: ET (47514618) •
He was the pilot of P-51 "San Antonio Rose" when he was Killed in Action.
Statement from 2nd Lt Cecil L. Byrd:
"On the Tuesday 5 December 1944 I was flying as Blue Leader. The mission was escort to Berlin. On the withdrawal my wingman, Lt Baker, called me and said his engine was going out and he would have bail out. At this time 1145 we were flying about 28000 ft. I talked to him on the radio in an effort to keep him in the plane a while longer hoping he could got the engine running.
He was losing altitude at a very fast rate, and when at 13000 ft I noticed black puffs of smoke at frequent intervals coming from the exhaust stacks. Nothing he did seemed to better the condition. He entered the cumulus clouds(which covered about 8/10hs) at about 10000 ft. He called when he was at 5000 ft and said he was bailing out ok at 4000 ft. I did not see him after he entered the clouds.
The place was about 10 miles west of Steinhuber Lake, close to the Weser river and the time was approximately 1154."
https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-margraten-b/47574-baker-james-a-o-822608
Contributor: ET (47514618) •
Statement from 2nd Lt Cecil L. Byrd:
"On the Tuesday 5 December 1944 I was flying as Blue Leader. The mission was escort to Berlin. On the withdrawal my wingman, Lt Baker, called me and said his engine was going out and he would have bail out. At this time 1145 we were flying about 28000 ft. I talked to him on the radio in an effort to keep him in the plane a while longer hoping he could got the engine running.
He was losing altitude at a very fast rate, and when at 13000 ft I noticed black puffs of smoke at frequent intervals coming from the exhaust stacks. Nothing he did seemed to better the condition. He entered the cumulus clouds(which covered about 8/10hs) at about 10000 ft. He called when he was at 5000 ft and said he was bailing out ok at 4000 ft. I did not see him after he entered the clouds.
The place was about 10 miles west of Steinhuber Lake, close to the Weser river and the time was approximately 1154."
https://www.fieldsofhonor-database.com/index.php/en/american-war-cemetery-margraten-b/47574-baker-james-a-o-822608
Contributor: ET (47514618) •
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Indiana.
Family Members
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