SANDERS James E - 67 BS 44 BG

James E. SANDERS

NUMBER OF SERVICE

O-700988

AGE

DATE OF BIRTH

ETAT

Byron OHIO

FAMILY

RANK

Second Lieutenant

FONCTION

CoPilot

JOB BEFORE ENLISTEMENT

DATE of ENLISTEMENT

SQUADRON

67^th Bomber Squadron

GROUP

44^th Bomber Group, Heavy

ARMY

8^th US Air Force

DATE OF DEATH

25 May 1944

STATUS

KIA

PLACE OF DEATH

Near Erchau, 30 kilometers southwest of St Quentin

DATA PLAN

B-24 Liberator - type H-20-FO - s/n 42-94962 NB*I "962"

b24

Macr: 5158

Mission: Belfort (90)

Take Off Station 115 Shipdham, Norfolk UK

All bodies were originally buried in Ercheu

Shots by the flak

Partial evacuation at 10000 feet around 08h30 just before explosion in flight

CEMETERY

NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY of Colleville

Map of Normandy American Cemetery

GRAVE

Plot	Row	Grave
C	21	43

DECORATION

Purple Heart

World War II Victory Medal

Photo FDLM

STORY

Crew of B-24 Liberator - type H-20-FO - s/n 42-94962 NBI "962"*
2^nd Lieutenant	Frank J TOMER		Pilot	Dead	Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer	PH - Born the 20/10/1920 à Corona, CALIFORNIA
^nd Lieutenant	James E SANDERS		CoPilot	Dead	Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer	PH - Bryan, OHIO
2^nd Lieutenant	Quinton A	FRANSON	Navigator	Dead	Sedgwick Cem. Sedgwick, COLORADO	23 yo (Born the 29/11/1920) - Sedgwick, COLORADO
2^nd Lieutenant	Bertis R	PRINCE	Bomber	Dead	Odd Fellows Cem. McLeansboro, ILLINOIS	23 yo- Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA
S/Sergeant	Kenneth C	NAVISH	Mechanic/Gunner	Dead	35052331 - Cleveland, OHIO - Initially buried at the Cim Com d'Ercheu (80)
S/Sergeant	Ervin	KATZ	Radio/Gunner	Dead	16144626 - Chicago, ILLINOIS - Initially buried at the Cim Com d'Ercheu (80)
Sergeant	Willis Lewis	STEBURG	Gunner	Prisoner - Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow - 19063345 - Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA
Sergeant	Homer A THURMAN		Gunner	Dead	Cim Am Colleville-sur-Mer	37211941 - PH - Turner, KANSAS
Sergeant	William F	BROSE	Gunner	Escaped	12203454 - Fords, NEW JERSEY - Found by Dr Puch de Ham, then Mr Rota de Beaumont-en-Beine (02) then Mr Roland of Villeselve (60) until the Liberation
Sergeant	Eldon Byron	ANDERSON	Gunner	Prisoner - Stalag Luft 4 Gross-Tychow - 18029464 - Stantford, TEXAS
Primary target was the Belfort Marshalling Yards located on the main railroad line between Paris and Switzerland, and only ten miles from the Swiss border. Flak was meager and slightly accurate and the fighter support was excellent. Yet one 67th Squadron aircraft was lost. The MACR states in part that at 0842 hours, this aircraft (962 I-Bar) left formation, went into a steep dive with #2 engine feathered and #3 engine smoking. It apparently was under control and seemed to be headed for Switzerland. Weather was good. All three survivors have been located. Sgt. Anderson, tail turret gunner, said, “After we left the formation, we flew around a bit trying to decide what to do with our bombs. We finally found a big, open space and let them go. We then discussed what to do – to go on to Switzerland, which wasn’t that far away, or to attempt to make it back to England. “By that time we were down to about 10,000 feet due to those ailing engines, but thought that with luck, we could get back to base. We flew at this altitude because we couldn’t get any higher – and were prime targets for the German flak batteries. Eventually we were hit again by flak, and this time I believe it was the nose section because the plane started falling at once. Those of us in the back never heard anything from up front over the intercom, but it was time to get out. I was the first one out, Brose was right behind me, and Steburg was last. But about the time that he was leaving, there was an explosion, and Steburg was pretty badly burned. “I broke my ankle when I hit the ground so had no chance to attempt evading. But the last time that I saw Brose, he was heading for a forest. We were in the county of Champagne, France, about 60 miles west of Paris. The doomed plane went straight to the ground carrying the rest of our crew to their deaths. It exploded again and burned. “Steburg and myself were at Stalag Luft IV until February 1945, when I was marched out and was liberated May 12th. I never knew what happened to Brose and am happy to learn that he made it.”						John Dowdy - Findagrave.com