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Military
Lt. James B. McArthur - pilot 389th BG/ 566th BS
Shot down by flak on the return from a mission to Erkner, Berlin on 8 Mar 1944 in B-24J #42-100375. Prisoner of War (POW).
POW at Stalag I (Barth, Gr.)
OBITUARY:
James B. McArthur, age 95 of Plano, IL passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at Delnor Community Hospital in Geneva, IL. He was born on March 15, 1921 in Hamilton, Scotland, the son of Rodger and Janet (Brown) McArthur.
James was united in marriage on November 18, 1950 to the former Miss Virginia Hadley and they spent the next 66 happy years together. Mr. McArthur served his county proudly as a member of the United States Army Air Corps during World War II. James was formerly employed, for 35 years, as a pilot with Trans World Airlines. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle who will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
James is survived by his wife, Virginia McArthur of Plano, IL; his daughter, Joan McArthur, DVM of Plano, IL; his granddaughters, Jacqueline and Jamie Hirn of Plano, IL; also several nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Rodger and Janet McArthur; his two brothers, Rodger MacArthur and Lachlan McArthur; and a niece and nephew.
A Funeral Service will be held at 4:00 PM on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at the Larson-Nelson Funeral Home, 1617 North Bridge Street in Yorkville, IL. Interment will be private.
Friends may visit from 1:00 PM until the Hour of Service on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at the Funeral Home in Yorkville, IL.
Group
The 389th Bomb Group, known in more familiar terms as "the Sky Scorpions", flew strategic bombing missions in B-24 Liberators from Hethel, England. They also sent detachments to join bases in North Africa at Benghazi No. 10, Libya, between 3 July 1943...
Squadron
Constituted 566th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 Dec. 1942. Activated on 24 Dec. 1942. Inactivated on 13 Sept. 1945. Campaigns: Air Offensive, Europe; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Normandy; Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air...
B-24 Liberator
21 February 1944
Day 2 of BIG WEEK is another maximum effort by 8th Air Force to bomb 6 airfields in Germany as primary targets: Diepholz, Gütersloh, Lippstadt, Werl, Achmer and Handorf. In addition the industrial areas of Brunswick city are included as a primary...
24 February 1944
BIG WEEK resumes with full intensity against the German aircraft industry. Bomber tactics are changed slightly in that each Air Division will be directed at more widely dispersed primary targets whoch it is thought will frustrate concentration...
5 March 1944
The German airfields at Mont-de-Marsan, Cayeux and Bordeaux/Merginac, France were the primary targets for this mission. Weather and clouds frustrate bombing attempts and formations bomb other secondary targets and targets of last resort. Mission...
8 March 1944
The VKF ballbearing factory at Berlin/Erkner is the primary target for 623 heavy bombers despatched by all three Air Divisions. Fighter opposition and anti-aircraft fire are intense. There are so many formation attacking that some divert to other...
Military site : airfield
Construction of Hethel airfield began in 1941, and was finished in late 1942. The number of hardstandings was increased from the planned 36 to 50 in 1942, in order to accommodate a full heavy bomb group. The 320th Bomb Group occupied the base for ten...
| Event | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Born | Geneva, IL, USA | 15 March 1921 |
| Prisoner of War (POW) | Germany | 8 March 1944 |
| Date | Contributor | Update |
|---|---|---|
| 31 October 2020 18:16:12 | decwriter | Changes to awards |
| Sources | ||
NARA file verified Air Medal and listing as MIA in the file. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 21 March 2018 10:13:27 | rcmobley | Changes to biography and events |
| Sources | ||
obituary |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 January 2015 16:46:52 | Lucy May | Changes to events |
| Sources | ||
Combined two entries for James B McArthur. Now includes information from the following sources: |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 December 2014 04:34:06 | jkeeffe389 | Changes to service number |
| Sources | ||
MACR 2959 |
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| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 30 December 2014 00:05:01 | jkeeffe389 | Changes to nickname, biography, place associations, aircraft associations and mission associations |
| Sources | ||
Lt. Col. James H Keeffe Jr records. |
||
| Date | Contributor | Update |
| 27 September 2014 18:14:09 | AAM | AAM ingest |
| Sources | ||
Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 2959, Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces |
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