James T Withey

Military

After graduating from Peterborough, NH High School in 1942, joined the USAAC. Washed out of pilot training. Navigation School at Ft. Myers, FL and Gunnery School, graduating in Class 44-3 at Selma Field, Monroe, LA. Joined J. D. Pelton crew 148-52 at Colorado Springs, CO, then to Kansas to pick up new B-24 and to England via the Southern Route. After seven missions left the Pelton crew to become Group Lead Navigator for the next twenty-two missions. Needed one more mission. Flew with Don Reynolds crew, Sept 27, 1944 to Kassel. Crash landed and spent balance of war at Stalag Luft I. Discharged as Captain. Plane was B-24 'Little Audrey' #4250579

Connections

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Units served with

A pathfinder B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51681) of the 453rd Bomb Group flies in formation with a fellow Liberator of the 453rd and and a pathfinder Liberator of the 445th Bomb Group. Image via Alan Rowsell.

445th Bomb Group

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

Aircraft

42-50579

  • Aircraft Type: B-24 Liberator
  • Unit: 445th Bomb Group 701st Bomb Squadron

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Peterborugh, New Hampshire, USA

Other

Prisoner of War (POW)

Germany 27 September 1944

Revisions

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Birsic, 31 July 1944 Roster AAF #124 MACR 9761 / Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 9761 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database