Husband of Dorothy S. Baker who resided in Patterson, New Jersey.

John served as a Sergeant & Radio Operator on B-17G #42-32087, 862nd Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

He resided in Hudson County, New Jersey prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on July 20, 1943 in Newark, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Married.

B-17G #42-32087 was on the way back to the United States with it's crew and also some passengers near the war's ending from Europe.

Typically when a B-17 was returning to the United States, when no longer needed for the war effort, they took members of their ground crew back with them. That is possibly what was happening on this flight.

They had just stopped at the Azores for refueling, and shortly after takeoff, the plane caught fire. The last radio contact reported that #3 engine had cut out, and, after trying to return, the plane was losing altitude. The B-17 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.

John was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight during the war.

Service # 42006346

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-32087:

Autenreith, Herbert D ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, IA
Baker, John W ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, NJ
Bonczar, Frank A ~ Pvt, Passenger, NY
Brubaker, Robert B ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, CA
Digman, Harold H ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OR
Granholm, Harold F ~ Sgt, Passenger, NY
Green, James W ~ Corp, Passenger, MS
Guest, Joseph P ~ T/Sgt, Passenger, PA
Janney, Leonard H ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, IL
Michalowski, Edward J ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, NY
Pentney, John L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, OR
Radzevich, Benny J ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
Starr, James R ~ Sgt, Gunner, MA
Taylor, Charles A, Jr ~ Sgt, Passenger, MS
Zellers, Kenneth E ~ M/Sgt, Passenger, PA

Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Husband of Dorothy S. Baker who resided in Patterson, New Jersey.

John served as a Sergeant & Radio Operator on B-17G #42-32087, 862nd Bomber Squadron, 493rd Bomber Group, Heavy, U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.

He resided in Hudson County, New Jersey prior to the war.

He enlisted in the Army on July 20, 1943 in Newark, New Jersey. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being Married.

B-17G #42-32087 was on the way back to the United States with it's crew and also some passengers near the war's ending from Europe.

Typically when a B-17 was returning to the United States, when no longer needed for the war effort, they took members of their ground crew back with them. That is possibly what was happening on this flight.

They had just stopped at the Azores for refueling, and shortly after takeoff, the plane caught fire. The last radio contact reported that #3 engine had cut out, and, after trying to return, the plane was losing altitude. The B-17 crashed into the Atlantic Ocean.

John was declared "Missing In Action" on this flight during the war.

Service # 42006346

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Airmen who perished on B-17G #42-32087:

Autenreith, Herbert D ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, IA
Baker, John W ~ Sgt, Radio Operator, NJ
Bonczar, Frank A ~ Pvt, Passenger, NY
Brubaker, Robert B ~ 1st Lt, Bombardier, CA
Digman, Harold H ~ S/Sgt, Gunner, OR
Granholm, Harold F ~ Sgt, Passenger, NY
Green, James W ~ Corp, Passenger, MS
Guest, Joseph P ~ T/Sgt, Passenger, PA
Janney, Leonard H ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, IL
Michalowski, Edward J ~ S/Sgt, Passenger, NY
Pentney, John L ~ 2nd Lt, Navigator, OR
Radzevich, Benny J ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, NY
Starr, James R ~ Sgt, Gunner, MA
Taylor, Charles A, Jr ~ Sgt, Passenger, MS
Zellers, Kenneth E ~ M/Sgt, Passenger, PA

Bio & Crew Report by:
Russell S. "Russ" Pickett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~