James Howard O'Cain
MilitaryHe was assigned to the Combat Wing S-2 staff with the 303rd Bomb Group between 17 November 1942 and 30 April 1945.
He flew one mission on 27 Jan 1943 as photo officer and/or Intelligence Officer. The mission was for Wilhelmshaven and was the first USAAF raid over Germany.
O'Cain wrote into a Pine Bluff newspaper about the mission and the bravery of another local officer, Capt. Lewis E. Lyle.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Unit: No 11 Combat Crew Replacement Center No 1 Combat Crew Replacement Center 303rd Bomb Group 427th Bomb Squadron
Missions
![The crew of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 41-23778) nicknamed "Jenny", of the 44th Bomb Group, return to Shipdham following a raid on Germany, 29 January 1943.
The insignia attached to the breast of several crew members jackets has been censored.
Image stamped on reverse: 'Barratt's Photo Press.' [stamp], 'Passed for publication 29 Jan 1943.' [stamp]. Printed caption on reverse: 'First American raid on Germany. Flying Fortresses and Liberators of the U.S. Army Air Corps Carried out their first r](https://assets.americanairmuseum.com/s3fs-public/styles/teaser_thumb_x2/public/freeman/media-379072.jpg.webp?itok=arU0mR30)
- Date: 27 January 1943
Places
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Born |
Nashville, Arkansas | 10 August 1921 | |
|
Other Flew on combat mission |
Wilhelmshaven, Germany | 27 January 1943 | |
|
Died |
26 November 1998 | ||
|
Buried |
Alexander, Arkansas | ||
| 302 West 18th Avenue, Pine Bluff, AR 71601, USA |
Revisions
See http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/012.pdf for a reproduction of the newspaper article and the crew listing.
See http://www.303rdbg.com/rost-nopq.html for roster listing.
Added event based on information in Biography field and the VIII Bomber Command 31 (27 January 1943) Mission page.
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / son, http://303rdbg.com/rost-nopq.html#N