James Richard Waltman

Military

Assigned to 415BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Ploesti raid in B-24 Liberator 42-40520 'Yen Tu' 1-Aug-43; hit by flak and with wounded crew pressed on to bomb target, pilots climbed to allow bale out of crew then crashed at Barcanesti, Romania. Burnt in A/C prior to bale out. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 176.



Awards: DFC, AM, PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

Connections

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Units served with

Three airmen of the 389th Bomb Group stand with a B-24 Liberator used as a Flight Assembly Ship. Image via Tim Bivens. Handwritten caption from Bivens: 'My friend remembers it being named "Bucksheesh Benny" that it was used to fly Jack Benny around USA shows. Says it flew in North Africa with Benny and was eventually assigned to 389th as a hack and later as a form-up ship. He thinks it was originally with another group (possibly 376th or 98th).' Handwritten caption on reverse: '389th BG Form-up ship.'

98th Bomb Group

  • Unit Hierarchy: Group
  • Air Force: Ninth Air Force
  • Type Category: Bombardment

People

Edward T McGuire

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 98th Bomb Group 415th Bomb Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 16038495 / O-663535
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot

Aircraft

42-40520

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Nicknames: Yen Tu
  • Unit: Ninth Air Force

Missions

Places

Benina

  • Site type: Airfield
  • Known as: Soluch Airfield

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

East Saint Louis, IL, USA 5 July 1920 Son of Walter and Katherine Eunice [Woelfer] Waltman.

Enlisted

Charlotte, NC 23 March 1942 Charlotte, North Carolina

Other

Prisoner Of War POW

Bucharest, Romania 1 August 1943 Prisoner Of War (POW). Romania.

Other

Baled out POW

Barcanesti, Romania 1 August 1943 Failed to Return (FTR) Ploesti raid in B-24 Liberator 42-40520 'Yen Tu' 1-Aug-43; burnt in A/C prior to bale out. Prisoner of War (POW) MACR 176.

Died

12 July 1946 Evidently his time as a POW led to his early death at the age of 26.

Buried

Sharon Memorial Park, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County NC 15 July 1946 Sharon Memorial Park, Charlotte, Mecklenburg County North Carolina, USA.

Based

Assigned

Benina 1 August 1943 Assigned to 415BS, 98BG, 9AF USAAF.

Other

Hospitalised

Hospitalised. Tuberculosis, chronic, advanced.

Revisions

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63543240/james-r.-waltman

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

https://www.fold3.com/image/29418092
https://www.fold3.com/image/300028700
https://www.fold3.com/record/704192421/waltman-james-r-u-s-wwii-hospita…
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63543240/james-r.-waltman

Date
ContributorAl_Skiff
Changes
Sources

http://www.findagrave.com