James P. Davis (1919 - 1944)

Born 26 May 1919 in St. Louis, Mo

Died 6 Oct 1944 at age 25 in Brandenburg, Germany

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Killed in Action

Biography

SSGT James Davis was Killed in Action during World War II.

SSGT James Davis served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II
Service started:
Unit(s): "Roger the Dodger" (B-17)
Service ended: KIA Oct 6,1944

Staff Sargent James P. Davis was born on May 26, 1919 in St. Louis, Mo, to Joseph K. and Margaret M. Davis. He was in the US Army Air Corps, where he was a Waist Gunner on a B-17 Flying Fortress named Roger the Dodger, and unfortunately, that is how he met his heroic demise. On October 6, 1944, Roger the Dodger was flying in a squadron of about 20-30 planes, when they were reportedly ambushed from above and behind by somewhere from 25-70 enemy planes, while en route to their targeted destination. No aircraft in the group returned to base that day. Of Roger the Dodger's crew of 10 men, 2 were KIA and 8 were captured as POWs that day.

I have not been able to find his grave site location, but his headstone application says he's buried at Calvary cemetery in St. Louis, Mo, his hometown.

The other man from Roger the Dodger that died that day with James was;

SSGT John L. Albers Tail Gunner

The 8 survivors from Roger the Dodger that were captured as POWs that day were;

SSGT John A Birrell Radio Operator

SSGT Milton Hyman Ball-Turret Gunner

2nd Lt. Robert Karshmer Navigator

Lt. Bill J Leverett Pilot

TSGT Harry A Muentener Top-Turret Gunner

SSGT Emmanuel M Pappas Bombardier/ Nose Gunner

Lt. Col. Richard H Phillips Co-Pilot

TSGT Kenneth L White Photographer

Roger the Dodger was a part of the 385th Bomb Group, as well as the 551st Bomb Squadron.

The 385th Bomb Group, who took the nickname "Van's Valiants" after their first Commanding Officer Brigadier General Elliot Vandevanter, flew B-17s from Great Ashfield, Suffolk. The Group led the famous attack on the Focke-Wolfe aircraft factory at Marienburg on 9 October 1943, during which only two out of one hundred B-17s were lost and all of the buildings on the site were damaged or destroyed. They won two Distinguished Unit Citations. The first, awarded to all 4th Bomb Wing Groups, was for accurately dropping their pay load on an aircraft factory at Regensburg, on 17 August 1943 and the Group's second was awarded after leading a difficult long-range mission to destroy an aircraft repair works at Zwickau, south-west Germany, on 12 May 1944.

Sources

• "United States Headstone Applications for U.S. Military Veterans, 1925-1949", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV1Z-4QXW : 15 March 2018), James P Davis, .

http://www.americanairmuseum.com/unit/329

http://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/111392

http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/10379

http://www.385thbga.com

"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K7H6-DQZ : 15 March 2018), James P Davis in household of Margaret M Davis, Ward 24, St. Louis, St. Louis City, St. Louis City, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 96-629, sheet 1A, line 37, family 11, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 2206.

"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHXZ-N93 : accessed 16 January 2019), James P Davis in household of Joseph K Davis, Cape Girardeau, Cape Girardeau, Missouri, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 11, sheet 8A, line 36, family 176, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 1180; FHL microfilm 2,340,915.