HLB B-3 restored at last

[Andrew]

Great work Tim, I couldn't find anything else of significance other than that he was from Preoria, Illinois.

It sure soes look a bit strange when you look at the record for his death. They don't know his Squadron, position, aircraft #, aircraft name, he is buried in the States (why would they bring him back home?), the last mission is stated as 227 but that was in 1944

"JAMES. JEFFERSON 16019982 SGT ? ? unknown ? ? unknown 23-Jan-43 227 0 USA B B 04-Sep-02 No Combat mission"

There was a Sgt James killed (the only KIA) on the 23 January 1943 on mission no. 15 Lorient - Keroman. Perhaps the transcription was incorrect or incomplete.
"(15) Lorient - Keroman 23 January 1943
I
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS
485 Capt. Morgan None None Moderate Lead ship.
970 Lt. Verinis None None Minor None
480 Lt. Cliburn None 0 - 1 - 0 Moderate Formation scattered.
504 Lt. Fischer None 1 - 4 - 0 Considerable Sgt. Richardson recommended for medal.
Landed A/C at Little Horwood.
515 Capt. Gaitley 1 - 0 - 1 None Minor None
490 Capt. Crumm None None None E/A pressing in close.
Target: Submarine pens and installations.
Sq. Losses: None ( 1 killed, 5 wounded)
Gp. Losses: None (1 killed, 5 wounded)
Remarks: Estimation 15 to 20 hits in target area. Photos reveal heavy damage to warehouse next to slips. Sgt. James killed,
Sgt. Richardson, Sgt. Mackenzie, Sgt. Kirkpatrick, Lt. Fischer and Lt. Dean wounded."

Perhaps he was knocked off back in the States home on furlough for his jacket :?

 

[RCSignals]

Interesting he'd write his first name and number on the strap and not his surname and number.

 

[deeb7]

Interesting he'd write his first name and number on the strap and not his surname and number.

• First Name: Jefferson Milo
  Last Name: James

http://www.usaafdata.com/?q=node/118557

 

[Weasel_Loader]

Nice job and great look jacket. Looks really warm.

 

[Andrew]

Interesting he'd write his first name and number on the strap and not his surname and number.

• First Name: Jefferson Milo
  Last Name: James

http://www.usaafdata.com/?q=node/118557

Exactly :lol:

I'm not sure how to read the details but perhaps the 1-4-0 in the Fischer Crew refers to killed and wounded so perhaps he was part of that crew.

 

[deeb7]

• Sgt Jefferson Milo James
  
  Birth: Aug. 10, 1921
  Canton
  Fulton County
  Illinois, USA
  Death: Jan. 23, 1943
  Brest, France
  
  SSgt. Army Air Corps, WW2-SSgt. James was killed in action while serving as a Waist Gunner on a B-17E on 1-23-1943 with the 305th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force while bombing the Submarine Pens at Brest, France .
  
  He is the son of Mr. Jeffrie M. & Mrs. Nellie {Bailey} James of C.M.R.#105 in Peoria County, Illinois, and he attended Manual Training H.S., and was employed at Heller's Food Market in Peoria before enlisting on November 28, 1941. He leaves one brother, Carl James, of the Coast Guard, and one sister, Mrs. Bernita Tucker of Galesburg, Illinois.
  
  Awards: Purple Heart Medal, Crew Wings, American Defense Medal, American Camapign Medal, European Campaign Medal with One Battle Star, Army Good Conduct Medal.
  
  Footnote: His body was brought home for burial in Peoria on August 12, 1948.
  
  
  Burial:
  Lutheran Cemetery
  Peoria
  Peoria County
  Illinois, USA
  Plot: 56, Blk. 26, PHS

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... =55259818&

 

[RCSignals]

Interesting he'd write his first name and number on the strap and not his surname and number.

• First Name: Jefferson Milo
  Last Name: James

http://www.usaafdata.com/?q=node/118557

That's better. I took it from previous posts the way they were written his first name was James. "James M Jefferson"

 

[RCSignals]

• Sgt Jefferson Milo James
  
  Birth: Aug. 10, 1921
  Canton
  Fulton County
  Illinois, USA
  Death: Jan. 23, 1943
  Brest, France
  
  SSgt. Army Air Corps, WW2-SSgt. James was killed in action while serving as a Waist Gunner on a B-17E on 1-23-1943 with the 305th Bombardment Group of the 8th Air Force while bombing the Submarine Pens at Brest, France .
  
  He is the son of Mr. Jeffrie M. & Mrs. Nellie {Bailey} James of C.M.R.#105 in Peoria County, Illinois, and he attended Manual Training H.S., and was employed at Heller's Food Market in Peoria before enlisting on November 28, 1941. He leaves one brother, Carl James, of the Coast Guard, and one sister, Mrs. Bernita Tucker of Galesburg, Illinois.
  
  Awards: Purple Heart Medal, Crew Wings, American Defense Medal, American Camapign Medal, European Campaign Medal with One Battle Star, Army Good Conduct Medal.
  
  Footnote: His body was brought home for burial in Peoria on August 12, 1948.
  
  
  Burial:
  Lutheran Cemetery
  Peoria
  Peoria County
  Illinois, USA
  Plot: 56, Blk. 26, PHS

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cg ... =55259818&

Well that solves the issue of events.

You are a search wizard.

 

[Andrew]

That's a great result Peter- half of the mystery solved. At least you now know that the jacket belonged to a Waist gunner of the 324thSq, 91stBG, 8thAF and details his last mission. I find I have mixed feelings when I find out this stuff with my gear, on the one hand it's a mystery solved and it turns the item from an artifact to a personal symbol of that time, and on the other I feel a bit too close to the original owner and as discussed on the other thread a bit spooky.

 

[Peter Graham]

Thanks so much guys. You are real gems, the lot of you. I'm sorry for putting you on the wrong track by getting the name the wrong way round. I'll keep digging. Maybe I can find more info, or even a photo. I've always wanted a jacket with a proven link to the 8th AAF and now I've got it. The mission of the day on 23rd January 1943 is probably the reason that the jacket survived. From what I understand, in order to obtain the accuracy required to penetrate the concrete roofs of the U-Boat pens the raids were at low level, so many crewmen dispensed with their high altitude gear. Maybe this is why Sgt James left his B-3 behind. In January in the UK I'd tend to keep the B-3 on, even on the ground ! All I've got to do is find Badger now.

 

[JOHNO]

This is from the 324 squadron mission report,

http://www.91stbombgroup.com/Dailies/324th_dailies.pdf


(15) Lorient - Keroman 23 January 1943
I
A/C PILOT CLAIMS CASUALTIES BATTLE DAMAGE REMARKS

485 Capt. Morgan None None Moderate Lead ship.
970 Lt. Verinis None None Minor None
480 Lt. Cliburn None 0 - 1 - 0 Moderate Formation scattered.
504 Lt. Fischer None 1 - 4 - 0 Considerable Sgt. Richardson recommended for medal.

Landed A/C at Little Horwood.
515 Capt. Gaitley 1 - 0 - 1 None Minor None
490 Capt. Crumm None None None E/A pressing in close.
Target: Submarine pens and installations.
Sq. Losses: None ( 1 killed, 5 wounded)
Gp. Losses: None (1 killed, 5 wounded)
Remarks: Estimation 15 to 20 hits in target area. Photos reveal heavy damage to warehouse next to slips. Sgt. James killed,
Sgt. Richardson, Sgt. Mackenzie, Sgt. Kirkpatrick, Lt. Fischer and Lt. Dean wounded.

 

[Peter Graham]

A quick update. I've been in contact with the 91st BG site and they are being very helpful. The ship that Sgt James was killed in was B-17 E “The Sad Sack” S/N 41-24504. Interestingly, the lead ship in the group that day was "The Memphis Belle". Here is "The Sad Sack" later in the war. She completed 50 missions and was sent back to the States on fund raising duties. I'll post more info as it comes in, hopefully.

 

[JOHNO]

Thanks for the up-date Peter, the search for answers to the past are fulfilling when they appear.

 

[Peter Graham]

Here's part of an email I received from a 91st BG pilot. It gives a little insight into how gear was issued and re-issued.

" Peter, I was a pilot on a B-17 in the 91st Bomb Group and I think I know about the two names and why they were on the tags of the B-3 Jacket. When a crew arrived at Bassingbourn, each member of the crew was assigned a small bin in the equipment hut. In this bin, he kept all of his flying clothes and other flight gear. After briefing , he went directly to the equipment hut and got dressed for the mission and picked up his other gear. From there he was transported to his awaiting B-17 in it's revetment.
All his flying clothes were issued to him at the time he was assigned his bin in the equipment hut. Since crews were completing their tours of duty, new crews were given the flight gear of crews going home. As crews were shot down, new gear was issued.
It seems clear that at this early point in the war (23 January 1943) that Jefferson was assigned a new B-3 jacket and that upon his death the jacket was assigned to a crewman named "Badger". We put our last name on all of our gear in indelible ink because if we lost the gear we had to pay for it. Sometimes articles simply disappeared".

 

[Roughwear]

Peter, this is really fascinating. I know gear was reissued, but imaged the crew would go the QM stores/equipment hut and be given items which fitted. I never imagined a complete kit was in individual equipment bins. You can see why some of the gear was ill fitting! I suspect gear may have been distributed differently on other bomber bases.

 

[dujardin]

greatttt Peter,

thanks for sharing

marcel

 

[RCSignals]

From some friends of mine who served in the AAF in Europe, the same applied to A-2 jackets. I suspect the veterans who were able to keep A-2s were the ones who were serving at the end of the war with them so didn't have to turn them in at the end of their mission 'tour', or they just paid for them as being 'lost'.

 

[Roughwear]

This may explain why the labels were sometimes removed from A2s-by the servicemen who didn't want them identified as government property after having bought them from the USAAF or simply not handed them in.

 

[dmar836]

This is good stuff. A member on the military watch forum said in the 80s he had to turn in his issued watch but "the guy" was willing to overlook one of his flight jackets.
Remember the reputation of supply sgts having a lot of power?
I just can't seem to find many vets that can remember how that stuff worked.
Great info!

Dave

 

[Peter Graham]

Out of the blue on Sunday I got an email from the niece of Jefferson M James. I left a message on the find a grave site and she contacted me through that. She is a nice lady who was able to give me some more information on Sgt James and sent some photos and documents. I've at last put a face to the jacket. Do you know who was directly responsible for that ? David. Further back in this thread David had posted a link to Sgt James page on the find a grave site which led me to leave a comment and now I'm in touch with his family. Maybe David has bumped into Sgt James and told him that someone was asking about him. Thanks David. Tell him that his jacket is in good hands.