Crew Roster · Personal File
James R. Vest
Waist Gunner · 328th Squadron
S/Sgt James R. Vest served as waist gunner on the August 1, 1943 Ploesti mission. Reed listed him as 'freed.' Vest was wounded; his face was bleeding before the bailout. His parachute opened successfully.
After landing, Vest was brought to Reed at a house while both were prisoners of Romanian forces. Both men were told that Lt. Warner was alive. Vest was eventually freed, most likely after Romania's surrender in August 1944, and returned to duty.
Completed Tour
Sortie Log
4 CATALOGUED SORTIES
01 AUG 1943 — 01 AUG 1943
01 AUG 1943 — 01 AUG 1943
The sorties below are those we have been able to document for this airman, drawn from flight logs, mission records, and archival sources. It is not necessarily a complete account of every mission flown; gaps may reflect missing documentation, transferred assignments, or records lost to time.
8AF Mission
Date
Target
Aircraft
№ 115
01 AUG 1943
Ploesti Oil Fields
B-24D serial 42-40612 (designated A/C No. 612-K in unit records) departed Benghazi on August 1, 1943 as part of the low-level mission against the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. The aircraft was lost over the target as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire. Weather conditions at the time of loss were not available. The aircraft carried a crew of eleven. Engine serials recorded: (a) 42-62861, (b) 42-62807, (c) 42-62784, (d) 42-62037. The MACR was prepared on 14 July 1944 by 1st Lt. George D. Weisel, Air Corps, Intelligence Officer. Two crew members, Dickson and Boswell, were interred in the village cemetery of Plop, Commune of Harsa, District of Prahova, Romania. A sketch of the cemetery was attached to the MACR file.
Euroclydon The Storm42-40612
№ 115
01 AUG 1943
Ploesti Oil Fields
B-24D serial 42-40612 (designated A/C No. 612-K in unit records) departed Benghazi on August 1, 1943 as part of the low-level mission against the Ploesti oil fields in Romania. The aircraft was lost over the target as a result of enemy anti-aircraft fire. Weather conditions at the time of loss were not available. The aircraft carried a crew of eleven. Engine serials recorded: (a) 42-62861, (b) 42-62807, (c) 42-62784, (d) 42-62037. The MACR was prepared on 14 July 1944 by 1st Lt. George D. Weisel, Air Corps, Intelligence Officer. Two crew members, Dickson and Boswell, were interred in the village cemetery of Plop, Commune of Harsa, District of Prahova, Romania. A sketch of the cemetery was attached to the MACR file.
Euroclydon The Storm42-40612
№ 115
01 AUG 1943
Ploesti
The aircraft was on fire when the crew bailed out over the Ploesti area on August 1, 1943 (the low-level Ploesti raid, Operation Tidal Wave). The bailout occurred at approximately 100 to 150 feet altitude. Reed reported seeing five dead bodies in the airplane after reaching the ground. The plane was completely destroyed upon crash — Reed examined the wreckage and reported nothing was salvageable. He believed the plane exploded on impact. The crash was at approximately 5:15 PM local time in the Ploesti area. The crash site and fate of most crew members were confirmed via the Romanian Army's death list, on which Reed reported seeing unidentifiable bodies listed.
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№ 115
01 AUG 1943
Ploesti, Romania
The aircraft was hit by 20mm and 34mm AA fire in the nose during the low-level attack on Ploesti on 1 August 1943. Fires broke out under the navigator's table, in the rear at the waist, and on the flight deck. The plane was burning violently. The aircraft crashed approximately 3/4 mile from the bail-out point. Five crew members were found burned in the wreckage. Sgts. Reed and Vest visited the crash site and reported the plane was completely burned.
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