James served as a Staff Sergeant on B-26B (#42-96210), 587th Bomber Squadron, 394th Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Middlesex County, Massachusetts prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on June 20, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Waiter and also as Single, without dependents.
James was "Killed In Action" over France during the war. See the report from T/Sgt Allen S. Cook, who was on the same mission, for more on what happened.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 31135417
T/Sgt Allen S. Cook:
On 14 June 1944, on a mission over France, I was flying in number 4 position in flight in which Lt. Harley was flying No.2 position No.2 ship was hit by heavy flak and burst into flames instantly, apparently a direct hit. No.2 maintained position momentarily then peeled left and down directly between the No.1 and No.4 ships nearly hitting No.4 on the way down. Bombs were salved from the ship slightly below flight and the ship continued losing altitude with pilot apparently trying to hold it level. He succeeded for some time but the ship finally dove into ground and exploded. To my observation no one escaped from the plane.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-26B (#42-96210):
Cameron, Lynn T ~ S/Sgt, Gunner/Engineer, Nebraska
Hartley, Howard R ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, California
Neis, Elmer J ~ T/Sgt, North Dakota
Picard, James L ~ S/Sgt, Massachusetts
Waddell, Charles F ~ 2nd Lt, New York
White, William M ~ 2nd Lt, Nebraska
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Middlesex County, Massachusetts prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on June 20, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Waiter and also as Single, without dependents.
James was "Killed In Action" over France during the war. See the report from T/Sgt Allen S. Cook, who was on the same mission, for more on what happened.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 31135417
T/Sgt Allen S. Cook:
On 14 June 1944, on a mission over France, I was flying in number 4 position in flight in which Lt. Harley was flying No.2 position No.2 ship was hit by heavy flak and burst into flames instantly, apparently a direct hit. No.2 maintained position momentarily then peeled left and down directly between the No.1 and No.4 ships nearly hitting No.4 on the way down. Bombs were salved from the ship slightly below flight and the ship continued losing altitude with pilot apparently trying to hold it level. He succeeded for some time but the ship finally dove into ground and exploded. To my observation no one escaped from the plane.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-26B (#42-96210):
Cameron, Lynn T ~ S/Sgt, Gunner/Engineer, Nebraska
Hartley, Howard R ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, California
Neis, Elmer J ~ T/Sgt, North Dakota
Picard, James L ~ S/Sgt, Massachusetts
Waddell, Charles F ~ 2nd Lt, New York
White, William M ~ 2nd Lt, Nebraska
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
James served as a Staff Sergeant on B-26B (#42-96210), 587th Bomber Squadron, 394th Bomber Group, Medium, U.S. Army Air Force during World War II.
He resided in Middlesex County, Massachusetts prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on June 20, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Waiter and also as Single, without dependents.
James was "Killed In Action" over France during the war. See the report from T/Sgt Allen S. Cook, who was on the same mission, for more on what happened.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 31135417
T/Sgt Allen S. Cook:
On 14 June 1944, on a mission over France, I was flying in number 4 position in flight in which Lt. Harley was flying No.2 position No.2 ship was hit by heavy flak and burst into flames instantly, apparently a direct hit. No.2 maintained position momentarily then peeled left and down directly between the No.1 and No.4 ships nearly hitting No.4 on the way down. Bombs were salved from the ship slightly below flight and the ship continued losing altitude with pilot apparently trying to hold it level. He succeeded for some time but the ship finally dove into ground and exploded. To my observation no one escaped from the plane.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-26B (#42-96210):
Cameron, Lynn T ~ S/Sgt, Gunner/Engineer, Nebraska
Hartley, Howard R ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, California
Neis, Elmer J ~ T/Sgt, North Dakota
Picard, James L ~ S/Sgt, Massachusetts
Waddell, Charles F ~ 2nd Lt, New York
White, William M ~ 2nd Lt, Nebraska
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He resided in Middlesex County, Massachusetts prior to the war.
He enlisted in the Army on June 20, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was noted, at the time of his enlistment, as being employed as a Waiter and also as Single, without dependents.
James was "Killed In Action" over France during the war. See the report from T/Sgt Allen S. Cook, who was on the same mission, for more on what happened.
He was awarded the "Distinguished Flying Cross", Air Medal with 9 Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Purple Heart.
Service # 31135417
T/Sgt Allen S. Cook:
On 14 June 1944, on a mission over France, I was flying in number 4 position in flight in which Lt. Harley was flying No.2 position No.2 ship was hit by heavy flak and burst into flames instantly, apparently a direct hit. No.2 maintained position momentarily then peeled left and down directly between the No.1 and No.4 ships nearly hitting No.4 on the way down. Bombs were salved from the ship slightly below flight and the ship continued losing altitude with pilot apparently trying to hold it level. He succeeded for some time but the ship finally dove into ground and exploded. To my observation no one escaped from the plane.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Airmen who perished on B-26B (#42-96210):
Cameron, Lynn T ~ S/Sgt, Gunner/Engineer, Nebraska
Hartley, Howard R ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, California
Neis, Elmer J ~ T/Sgt, North Dakota
Picard, James L ~ S/Sgt, Massachusetts
Waddell, Charles F ~ 2nd Lt, New York
White, William M ~ 2nd Lt, Nebraska
( Bio & Crew Report by: Russell S. "Russ" Pickett )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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