Private James Liliton Emory, born 14 Jan 1925 in Sussex County, Virginia, was the son of William and Tina (Doyle) Emory of Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Petersburg is 24 miles due south of Richmond.
In the 1930 census 5-year-old James is living with his parents and siblings Frances 6, William 3, and Laura 1, at 806 Elm Street in Hopewell, Virginia. Hopewell is 9 miles northeast of Petersburg and 25 miles south southeast of Richmond. His father is a salesman for a fish oil company.
In the 1940 census 15-year-old James is living with his parents and siblings Frances 17, William 13, and Laura 11 in rural Waverly, Sussex County, Virginia. Waverly is 22 miles southeast of Petersburg. His father is farming.
On his 1943 draft registration James is living with his parents at 940 Commerce Street in Petersburg. He works for the Titmus Optical Company.
The NARA WWII casualty listings by state and county for Virginia show Emory, James L., Pvt from Dinwiddie County as DNB (Died Non-Battle) 12 Dec 1944. James was killed along with 32 other solders in the crash of their Horsa Glider during a training flight at RAF Greenham Common 58 miles west of London. The glider crashed after the tail section broke off in midair while being towed. Three days later 16 men died when two B17 Flying Fortress planes collided near the base. A memorial dedicated by Princess Anne in 2012 honors all who died while based there.
From 501st Combat Support Wing: On Dec. 12, 1944, 31 paratroopers from the 17th Airborne Division, (mostly from C Company, 194th Glider Infantry Regiment) and two glider pilots of the 88th Troop Carrier Squadron gathered at RAF Greenham Common for Horsa Glider flight training.
The Horsa was constructed almost entirely of molded plywood and was bolted together in sections. The British had solved the problem of fast unloading by fixing a plastic charge on the rear section. Upon landing, the rear end blew off and easy egress was attained. The live charge while the glider was in flight was certainly not a comforting thought for the troops inside.
Walt Wrzeszczynski, a medic with 194th GIR Company who was waiting on the flightline for the next available Horsa, witnessed the accident as it took place in the sky.
"Everything looked fine," he said. "The glider was flying along smoothly when all of a sudden the tail section just came off. There was no explosion; it just fell off."
"The glider (what was left of it) swayed and flopped around at the end of the tow line and sank lower and lower," he said, shaking his head sadly. "It seemed to be pulling the tow plane down. Suddenly, it either cut loose or was cut loose and then it went almost straight down. It was all over in just a few seconds."
In the 1930 census 5-year-old James is living with his parents and siblings Frances 6, William 3, and Laura 1, at 806 Elm Street in Hopewell, Virginia. Hopewell is 9 miles northeast of Petersburg and 25 miles south southeast of Richmond. His father is a salesman for a fish oil company.
In the 1940 census 15-year-old James is living with his parents and siblings Frances 17, William 13, and Laura 11 in rural Waverly, Sussex County, Virginia. Waverly is 22 miles southeast of Petersburg. His father is farming.
On his 1943 draft registration James is living with his parents at 940 Commerce Street in Petersburg. He works for the Titmus Optical Company.
The NARA WWII casualty listings by state and county for Virginia show Emory, James L., Pvt from Dinwiddie County as DNB (Died Non-Battle) 12 Dec 1944. James was killed along with 32 other solders in the crash of their Horsa Glider during a training flight at RAF Greenham Common 58 miles west of London. The glider crashed after the tail section broke off in midair while being towed. Three days later 16 men died when two B17 Flying Fortress planes collided near the base. A memorial dedicated by Princess Anne in 2012 honors all who died while based there.
From 501st Combat Support Wing: On Dec. 12, 1944, 31 paratroopers from the 17th Airborne Division, (mostly from C Company, 194th Glider Infantry Regiment) and two glider pilots of the 88th Troop Carrier Squadron gathered at RAF Greenham Common for Horsa Glider flight training.
The Horsa was constructed almost entirely of molded plywood and was bolted together in sections. The British had solved the problem of fast unloading by fixing a plastic charge on the rear section. Upon landing, the rear end blew off and easy egress was attained. The live charge while the glider was in flight was certainly not a comforting thought for the troops inside.
Walt Wrzeszczynski, a medic with 194th GIR Company who was waiting on the flightline for the next available Horsa, witnessed the accident as it took place in the sky.
"Everything looked fine," he said. "The glider was flying along smoothly when all of a sudden the tail section just came off. There was no explosion; it just fell off."
"The glider (what was left of it) swayed and flopped around at the end of the tow line and sank lower and lower," he said, shaking his head sadly. "It seemed to be pulling the tow plane down. Suddenly, it either cut loose or was cut loose and then it went almost straight down. It was all over in just a few seconds."
Private James Liliton Emory, born 14 Jan 1925 in Sussex County, Virginia, was the son of William and Tina (Doyle) Emory of Petersburg, Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Petersburg is 24 miles due south of Richmond.
In the 1930 census 5-year-old James is living with his parents and siblings Frances 6, William 3, and Laura 1, at 806 Elm Street in Hopewell, Virginia. Hopewell is 9 miles northeast of Petersburg and 25 miles south southeast of Richmond. His father is a salesman for a fish oil company.
In the 1940 census 15-year-old James is living with his parents and siblings Frances 17, William 13, and Laura 11 in rural Waverly, Sussex County, Virginia. Waverly is 22 miles southeast of Petersburg. His father is farming.
On his 1943 draft registration James is living with his parents at 940 Commerce Street in Petersburg. He works for the Titmus Optical Company.
The NARA WWII casualty listings by state and county for Virginia show Emory, James L., Pvt from Dinwiddie County as DNB (Died Non-Battle) 12 Dec 1944. James was killed along with 32 other solders in the crash of their Horsa Glider during a training flight at RAF Greenham Common 58 miles west of London. The glider crashed after the tail section broke off in midair while being towed. Three days later 16 men died when two B17 Flying Fortress planes collided near the base. A memorial dedicated by Princess Anne in 2012 honors all who died while based there.
From 501st Combat Support Wing: On Dec. 12, 1944, 31 paratroopers from the 17th Airborne Division, (mostly from C Company, 194th Glider Infantry Regiment) and two glider pilots of the 88th Troop Carrier Squadron gathered at RAF Greenham Common for Horsa Glider flight training.
The Horsa was constructed almost entirely of molded plywood and was bolted together in sections. The British had solved the problem of fast unloading by fixing a plastic charge on the rear section. Upon landing, the rear end blew off and easy egress was attained. The live charge while the glider was in flight was certainly not a comforting thought for the troops inside.
Walt Wrzeszczynski, a medic with 194th GIR Company who was waiting on the flightline for the next available Horsa, witnessed the accident as it took place in the sky.
"Everything looked fine," he said. "The glider was flying along smoothly when all of a sudden the tail section just came off. There was no explosion; it just fell off."
"The glider (what was left of it) swayed and flopped around at the end of the tow line and sank lower and lower," he said, shaking his head sadly. "It seemed to be pulling the tow plane down. Suddenly, it either cut loose or was cut loose and then it went almost straight down. It was all over in just a few seconds."
In the 1930 census 5-year-old James is living with his parents and siblings Frances 6, William 3, and Laura 1, at 806 Elm Street in Hopewell, Virginia. Hopewell is 9 miles northeast of Petersburg and 25 miles south southeast of Richmond. His father is a salesman for a fish oil company.
In the 1940 census 15-year-old James is living with his parents and siblings Frances 17, William 13, and Laura 11 in rural Waverly, Sussex County, Virginia. Waverly is 22 miles southeast of Petersburg. His father is farming.
On his 1943 draft registration James is living with his parents at 940 Commerce Street in Petersburg. He works for the Titmus Optical Company.
The NARA WWII casualty listings by state and county for Virginia show Emory, James L., Pvt from Dinwiddie County as DNB (Died Non-Battle) 12 Dec 1944. James was killed along with 32 other solders in the crash of their Horsa Glider during a training flight at RAF Greenham Common 58 miles west of London. The glider crashed after the tail section broke off in midair while being towed. Three days later 16 men died when two B17 Flying Fortress planes collided near the base. A memorial dedicated by Princess Anne in 2012 honors all who died while based there.
From 501st Combat Support Wing: On Dec. 12, 1944, 31 paratroopers from the 17th Airborne Division, (mostly from C Company, 194th Glider Infantry Regiment) and two glider pilots of the 88th Troop Carrier Squadron gathered at RAF Greenham Common for Horsa Glider flight training.
The Horsa was constructed almost entirely of molded plywood and was bolted together in sections. The British had solved the problem of fast unloading by fixing a plastic charge on the rear section. Upon landing, the rear end blew off and easy egress was attained. The live charge while the glider was in flight was certainly not a comforting thought for the troops inside.
Walt Wrzeszczynski, a medic with 194th GIR Company who was waiting on the flightline for the next available Horsa, witnessed the accident as it took place in the sky.
"Everything looked fine," he said. "The glider was flying along smoothly when all of a sudden the tail section just came off. There was no explosion; it just fell off."
"The glider (what was left of it) swayed and flopped around at the end of the tow line and sank lower and lower," he said, shaking his head sadly. "It seemed to be pulling the tow plane down. Suddenly, it either cut loose or was cut loose and then it went almost straight down. It was all over in just a few seconds."
Inscription
PVT 194 GLI INF 17 ABN DIV VIRGINIA
Gravesite Details
Entered the service from Virginia.
