James Preston Jones
Military ROLL OF HONOURTG, Saur crew. 381st BG, 532nd, BS, 8th AF. Lost on mission #59 to the aircraft factories at Oschersleben, Germany on 11 Jan 1944. An ME109 exploded near B-17G 42-37962 'Betty Lou' and the engine split the bomber in two. MACR 1876. Killed in Action (KIA). Buried by the Germans in the POW cemetery at the Achmea airbase, Germany. Reinterred in the Netherlands AMC.
The 1st Bomb Wing/381st BG did not hear the recall while over the continent. 180 out of 700 bombers continued on the mission without fighter cover. The 381st BG earned its second Distinguished Unit Citation.
Connections
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Units served with
- Unit Hierarchy: Group
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
- Unit Hierarchy: Squadron
- Air Force: Eighth Air Force
- Type Category: Bombardment
People
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 13003529
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Radio Operator
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-751095
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Co-Pilot
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 33256915
- Highest Rank: Sergeant
- Role/Job: Top Turret Gunner; Flight Engineer
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: 12031027
- Highest Rank: Staff Sergeant
- Role/Job: waist gunner
- Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
- Nationality: American
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
- Service Numbers: O-796571
- Highest Rank: Second Lieutenant
- Role/Job: Navigator
Aircraft
- Aircraft Type: B-17 Flying Fortress
- Nicknames: Betty Lou
- Unit: 381st Bomb Group 532nd Bomb Squadron
Missions
- Date: 11 January 1944
Places
- Site type: Cemetery
- Known as: Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, The Netherlands
- Site type: Airfield
Events
| Event | Location | Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Based Killed in Action (KIA) |
2 December 1943 - 11 January 1944 | ||
|
Other Killed in Action |
Germany | 11 January 1944 | |
|
Buried |
Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, The Netherlands, I-18-14 | 13 January 1944 | POW cemetery at Achmea airbase, Germany Grave 37 |
|
Born |
|||
|
Buried |
Plot I Row 18 Grave 14 |
Revisions
Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- User TexasRose - I am Preston's great-neice. The Purple Heart medal is in our family's possession.
I am Preston's great-neice. Information here is from the American Battle Monuments Commission as well as family information.
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia ;
- www.381st.org/UnitHistory/Data/Roster.aspx
381st Bomb Group Memorial Association, March 1999; MACR 1876, 8th AF Losses / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 1876 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database