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James Frederick Jones

Military

  • Jim Jones, a tail gunner of the 388th Bomb Group in position inside his B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30595, nicknamed

    Jim Jones, a tail gunner of the 388th Bomb Group in position inside his B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-30595, nicknamed "Gremlin Gus II". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Jim Jones, T/G of Gremlin Gus. Haven't heard of at Veterans Association, Maryland.'

    Show caption About this image
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16 Sept 1943 mission to La Pallice, FR. in B-17 #42-5904 'Gremlin Gus'. On return, crashed in Devonshire after scraping a hill top. Jones fell out of the escape hatch suffering slight injuries.

Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

Service

People

  • Edgar Cunningham

    Military | Technical Sergeant (2nd Grade) | Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
    16 Sept 1943 mission to La Pallice, FR. in B-17 #42-5904 'Gremlin Gus'. On return, crashed in Devonshire after scraping a hill top. Cunningham was injured.

  • Henry Dick

    Military | Captain | Bombardier | 388th Bomb Group
    WIA. 16 Sept 1943 mission to La Pallice, FR. in B-17 #42-5904 'Gremlin Gus'. On return, crashed in Devonshire after scraping a hill top. Lieutenant Dick lost a leg.

  • Eric Forsta

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Flight Engineer | 388th Bomb Group
    16 Sept 1943 mission to La Pallice, FR. in B-17 #42-5904 'Gremlin Gus'. On return, crashed in Devonshire after scraping a hill top.

  • Charles Hovatter

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Ball Turret Gunner | 388th Bomb Group
    16 Sept 1943 mission to La Pallice, FR. in B-17 #42-5904 'Gremlin Gus'. On return, crashed in Devonshire after scraping a hill top.

  • Ralph Jarrendt

    Military | First Lieutenant | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group
    Assigned to 560BS, 388BG, 8AF USAAF. 16-Sep-43 mission to La Pallice. FR, in B-17 42-5904 'Gremlin Gus'. On return, crashed in Devonshire after scraping a hill top. Awards: AM, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Gilbert Kastoll

    Military | Technical Sergeant | Waist Gunner | 388th Bomb Group

  • John Lee

    Military | Pilot | 388th Bomb Group

  • Donald Staples

    Military | Navigator | 388th Bomb Group
    16 Sept 1943 mission to La Pallice. FR, in B-17 #42-5904 'Gremlin Gus'. On return, crashed in Devonshire after scraping a hill top.

  • James Tierney

    Military | Private First Class | 384th Bomb Group

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Units served with

  • 8th Air Force

    8th Air Force


    Eighth Air Force Bomber Command became the Eighth Air Force on February 1944, it oversaw bombardment of strategic targets in Europe until 1945. ...

  • 388th Bomb Group

    388th Bomb Group

    Group
    The 388th Bomb Group flew strategic bombing mission from Knettishall, Suffolk from June 1943 to the end of the war. During this time, though, detachments were sent to Fersfield, Norfolk to conduct Aphrodite missions. In these Aphrodite missions veteran...

  • 550th Bomb Squadron

    550th Bomb Squadron

    Squadron

Aircraft

  • 42-30595 'Gremlin Gus II' "Olin's 69'ers"

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Cheyenne 26/6/43; Smoky Hill 13/7/43; Kearney 16/7/43; Dow Fd 19/7/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG Knettishall 20/7/43; (34m) transferred Aphrodite project as OLIN'S 69'ERS; when War Weary, fuselage cut down and vehicle windshield fitted before open...

  • 42-5904 Gremlin Gus

    B-17 Flying Fortress
    Delivered Long Beach 29/4/43; Sioux City 4/5/43; Roswell 26/5/43; Smoky Hill 12/6/43; Dow Fd 19/6/43; Assigned 560BS/388BG [--K] Knettishall 18/6/43; t/o La Pallice 16/9/43 due to poor weather, with Jarrendt, Co-pilot: ?, Navigator: Staples (Wounded in...

Associated Place

  • Knettishall

    Military site : airfield
    Knettishall was built to Class A standard for an American Bomb Group that would be bringing up to forty heavy bombers with them in three or four Squadrons. The 388th Bomb Group, which stayed at Knettishall for their entire service in the ETO, flew B-17...

Events

Event Location Date
Born Baltimore, MD, USA 1922
Enlisted Fort George G Meade, MD, USA 9 August 1941

National Guardsman
Nationality
American
Nickname
Jimmy
Service numbers
20343323
Highest rank
Staff Sergeant
Role/job
Tail Gunner
Awards
  • Air Medal
  • European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal
  • World War II Victory Medal

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
29 March 2020 20:43:39 jmoore43 Changes to biography
Sources

Added a "#" to the A/C serial # in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity & consistency.
Date Contributor Update
04 March 2020 22:03:42 Al_Skiff Changes to biography and awards
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/record/85211974-james-f-jones
Date Contributor Update
03 March 2020 19:39:06 jmoore43 Changes to biography
Sources

Added a "-" and a space to the A/C serial number in the "Summary biography" to aid clarity.
Date Contributor Update
20 April 2018 18:41:18 CastleBren Changes to middlename, nickname, service number, awards, events and person associations
Sources

388th Bomb Group Archives
Date Contributor Update
15 September 2017 14:58:20 Al_Skiff Changes to highest rank, unit associations, aircraft associations and media associations
Sources

Key Image ID.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:14:21 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Losses of the 8th & 9th AFs Vol. I by Bishop & Hey p. 285

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